Why don animal rights groups oppose the beef and poultry industries in the same way they oppose seal hunting?
Some extreme animal rights groups do (such as the Animal Liberationists Front and the Vegetarian society Viva!). However, the main reasons moderate groups (including the non-vegetarian RSPCA) give include: -The seal is a more endangered animal than cows and poultry. These animals are raised specifically for meat use in a controlled environment and are not in short supply. The hunting environment is not contolled and there is a danger that with hunting, seals could become in danger of becoming extinct in the same way as the Mauritian dodo. – The methods of killing seals (e.g. clubbing to death, shooting) are uncontrolled and cruel, an animal can take a long time to die and endure intense suffering as a result, whereas slaughterhouse methods are designed to be efficient, quick and painless as possible (poultry is normally gassed unconcious before its throat is slit). -Poultry and cattle are bred specifically for the purpose of meat.
They do they just aren’t as active in their opposition. Trying to bring down any industry as massive as those surrounding beef and poultry production would be a very uphill battle, so they try to strike blows for animal rights where they can. I would think that the main reason they are more active in their opposition against seal hunting is because the beef and poultry industries are seen by the majority of the populous as established and accepted social and economic conventions, it’s difficult to make people think that something they’ve been doing for years is cruel or immoral, even when it is. Whereas seal hunting is lesser known, not as universally established in the minds of most people as something that “Just happens”, and therefor more likely to raise the moral uproar from the general populous that any successful animal rights movement usually has to capitalise on.
