Slaughter of up to 325,000 Canadian Seals Begins
25 March 2006
The Canadian seal hunt commenced today (Saturday 25 March), signalling the death of up to 325,000 seals, by clubbing and shooting, off the east coast of Canada.
Mark Glover, Director of Respect for Animals and Humane Society International (UK), who is on the ice floes to witness the hunt, said today:
‘Starting at dawn today, boats carrying hundreds of seal hunters converged in the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Over the past few days, the Protect Seals team has searched the entire Gulf for the harp seal nursery, but failed to find it. The few seal pups we’ve seen cling to the scattered, tiny pans of ice that remain across the ocean. Scientists fear many of the harp seals born this year would have drowned as the ice cover melted from under them before they were old enough to swim proficiently.
‘Now, the few surviving baby seals we’ve watched for the last several days are being killed as Canada’s gruesome seal hunt begins again. Over the next few weeks, sealers will attempt to locate, club and shoot to death thousands more baby seals – up to 325,000 if they get their way.
‘The hunt is inhumane and cruel. Veterinary studies have shown that humane killing guidelines are not enforced and in many cases seals are skinned while conscious. Each year, parliamentarians, journalists and animal welfare observers report incredible cruelty at the hunt, including dragging conscious seals across the ice with boathooks, shooting seals and leaving them to suffer in agony and skinning seals alive.
‘Today’s killing levels meet and even exceed those of the 1950’s and 60’s, when close to two–thirds of the harp seal population was wiped out. Harp seals now face a double threat to their survival – the impacts of climate change and historic high levels of commercial hunting.’
In the UK, Respect for Animals and the Humane Society International (UK) are calling on the UK government to ban the import of all seal products into the UK. To date 188 Members of Parliament have signed an Early Day Motion (number 237) in support of an import ban. A recent opinion poll showed that 73% of UK residents think there should be a ban on the import of seal products into Britain. 79% believe that the annual Canadian seal hunt should be stopped.
Together with a powerful alliance of like-minded organizations, Respect for Animals is asking concerned individuals to pledge not to buy Canadian fish and seafood products until the hunt is banned.