Long question, short answer. Part of the answer was in the question, so that's all right.
We were wondering whether we should fight fire with fire. Personally, I think we should fight emotions with facts. Every time you dissect the arguments of the abolitionists, you realize that they just don't make sense.
You said earlier that the hunt respected the balance of the ecosystem. We are talking about a renewable resource. We cannot stop repeating that the hunt is conducted in an orderly manner, that it is done in the best conditions and that the killing is done in a respectful manner, in accordance with our principles. Further, I think we should stop pitting tourism against hunting or fishing activities.
We can give you a copy of our policy framework on tourism development. The policy states that, at the local level, tourism is important for the economy, but that fishing activities truly represent the backbone of our industry. This includes the seal hunt. As a tourist destination, we would only be the shadow of our former selves if we lost that which makes up our identity, that is, hunting and fishing. Attracting tourists by selling them a product which is not authentic is something that we cannot even image.
As for striking a balance between hunting seals and observing them, in my opinion we have managed, in the last 10 years, despite the blackmail we were subject to over a certain period of time, to strike a certain balance. Those who come or keep coming to observe the seals a few weeks before the hunt might be closing their eyes to the situation, but they always have to contend with the people who have been described as barbarians. But when they leave, they have a different image of the hunters.
It's a long process, because the observers don't all come at the same time, and there are only about a few hundred of them each year. I think that these people are then forced to admit, even when they talk about the situation with the guides on the ice, that the two activities are not incompatible, that the animals they have come to photograph can also be hunted, and that these activities take place during two distinct periods. These two realities have coexisted for 10 years. It is, to a certain extent, a delicate balance, but it is nevertheless a balance which we have been able to keep over the last few years.