Call on Canada to End Immoral Seal Hunt
New York City — More than 260,000 seal pups have been slaughtered since March 29, 2005. Through early May, Canadian seal hunters will club and shoot this season’s share of 320,000 harp and hooded seal pups on the ice floes off Newfoundland’s coast. The Canadian government subsidizes the annual slaughter; subsidies that Friends of Animals says should end immediately.
Tuesday, April 26th from 12:30pm-2:30pm, Friends of Animals, an international animal advocacy organization, will again oppose this despicably cruel practice at the door of the Canadian Consulate General in New York City. Advocates will gather at 1251 Avenue of the Americas (50th Street & 6th Ave.) to alert New York residents that the world’s largest commercial hunt continues, and to urge Canadian Consulate General Pamela Wallin and Canadian Prime Minster Paul Martin to end the seal hunt now.
Seal pelt exports to Europe and Asia have nearly doubled each year since 2002 — the first year of the current three-year plan to kill nearly one million seals. Each pelt represents the irreplaceable life of a pup who was too young to swim away from harm. The targeted pups as young as 12 days old, are often skinned alive.
Justifications for the hunt have varied. First, we heard that seals ate too many Atlantic codfish. The latest excuse comes from Canadian seal oil salespeople. The Canadian government, since 1995, has spent tens of millions in Canadian dollars to subsidize seal processing and develop new markets for seal products.. If seal oil can be marketed, they argue, then Canadians aren’t just killing for the fur salons of Denmark, Germany, France, Greenland, China, South Korea, Norway and Canada.
Priscilla Feral, president of Friends of Animals, states, “The world community should oppose Canada’s seal hunt as a matter of moralty. The resurgence of fur is responsible for Canada’s acceptance of the mass killing of seals. Renounce fur — all fur — to help seals over the long term.”
Feral adds, “Canadians should insist that their government stop the hunt subsidies now, and use the funds to build a real economic foundation for Newfoundlanders. Canada banned whale killing, and the economy adjusted. It’s long past time to end the seal hunt “
Friends of Animals’ full page ad against Canada’s seal hunt will appear in Sunday’s, April 24 issue of The New York Daily News.
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32 Comments
On April 25, 2005, ezila wrote:
I have been on pins and needles since the hunt opened this year; I have campaigned my butt off, and I am eager to see this cruel event ended for good.
I’m glad FoA could afford a full page ad!
On April 28, 2005, Nana wrote:
I think that the slaughter of animals in general is extremely horrid and grotesque! People who agree with this unneccessary killing should be punished for what they are doing. Animals to me are very precious creatures and are harmless to the environment. If they don’t hurt people, they should be left at peace.
On April 30, 2005, Shari wrote:
I’m mortified everytime this happens. Actually if you go to the Debate Club at MSN. and join (I don’t know if you can read the posts otherwise) I just had the hugest debate about hunting! I said it’s cruel, and some were saying “well, I don’t find it cruel”! Be warned: If you do go, there are some tough cookies on there! I am such a huge animal lover and animals don’t bother anybody; people have no hearts, I swear.
On May 3, 2005, Chris Zornow wrote:
How can they find it moralistic skinning a 12 day old seal alive? Imagine skinning any sentient being alive. I will never understand how some humans feel it is ok to be so cruel to our Earth. When will all this end?
On June 1, 2005, si choi wrote:
god skinning 12days old seal alive is dirty who would do that?
i think usa need to make new law that can’t kill or SKIN animals
On August 3, 2005, Alana wrote:
I live in Toronto, Canada and I have to say no-one ever mentions that this is going on anymore. I certainly didn’t hear anything about it at all this year. Put an illustrated ad in a paper here and I think people will be justifiably horrified. They need the reminder.
[ Blog editors’ note: Thank you, Alana; you are alert. We’ll have a feature coming out on this in our autumn edition of the magazine ActionLine. People aren’t mentioning it for a reason — it’s hush-hush when the hunt is actually being planned!]
On October 3, 2005, Lee Hall wrote:
A message has come to the blog editors from “Kohlby” and it says:
“Killing animals for fur is CRUEL and should be banned everywhere!”
Thank you for writing in, Kohlby.
On October 12, 2005, Naomi Weaver wrote:
What right does a human being have to kill any animal. The humans are destroying our earth and everything on it. In years to come there will be no natural life left, everything will be covered in concrete and wild animals will be kept in cages. It makes me sick that we live in such a world.
On November 10, 2005, Elissa West wrote:
I come from Australia and I am disgusted to know these inhumane & cruel barbaric people are slaughtering the seals.
Shame on you Canada!
On July 25, 2006, Ann Long wrote:
I will not travel to Canada and will be boycotting Canadian products until this inhumane practice is stopped by the Canadian government.
On August 8, 2006, Sarah wrote:
I know that the mass killing of these seals is disturbing, but I do have one question. When the seals are skinned, is the rest of the body used for anything or do the hunters just leave them?
[Blog editors’ note: Hello, Sarah. Canada’s government comes up with various uses in addtion to the pelts from year to year. Not for things people need, though. For example, they’ll promote seal oil as a source of a dietary Omega-3 supplement. If you want Omega-3, it’s on the market already. It is made from sea algae and there is another form of it made from flax. Neither requires that one beats up any animals to get it.]
On August 27, 2006, Tricia Thompson wrote:
I just learned about these seal huntings and I have to admit I am utterly appalled by the thought that one person could be so ruthless and do that to a poor defensless seal! This is just like animal cruelty and the people should be imprisoned. It’s against the law, and it makes Canada look REALLY bad!!
[Blog editors’ note: It is legal now; it’s federal government policy. The point of Friends of Animals’ campaign is not to urge that people should go to prison. The government itself must change the policy and help to stimulate Newfoundland’s economy in ways that don’t promote markets for seals pelts and oils.]
On October 10, 2006, Rickabelle wrote:
What kind of friggin’ country would make killing those harmless seals legal?! What were they thinking?!
THAT IS NOT GOOD. And I speak for all of us kids who have heard of such ruthless thing! If they think it gives them a good reputation, for whatever reason, maybe because they “feel strong or whatnot for being able to kill such harmless creatures”, or “they enjoy seeing such precious animals being killed, skinned, their blood flowing all over the place”, for their information, it gives them a VERY BAD reputation. other countries should protest to these kind of laws. what good is it killing a harmless creature? Honestly, everyone else here in our city thinks it’s a very lame idea “hunting” seals. Why? They make you looke like wimps, because that would be the only animals they could hunt— the helpless ones, the only ones that “gives them power because they can kill them”. if they keep this up, seals would become extinct— just like the other animals— HELPLESS AND HARMLESS ANIMALS— in the past.
No one can blame me for giving such a bad remark in public. I’M A KID. WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?? I say what i feel— WHAT ALL OF US KIDS FEEL. If they would have kids, they’re giving them a very bad example, and it’s not something that would make those kids proud of their parents. And they just involve their kids in their bad reputation.
On October 26, 2006, jimmy wrote:
Why would people feel it is ok to slaughter a helpless animal?
On November 9, 2006, Becca wrote:
That’s just plain CRUEL and WRONG in every way and you have to have absolutely NO HEART to do this.
On November 14, 2006, Leena wrote:
SKinning is wrong and a horrible thing to do to animal. The poor helpless animals have no say in the matter and it makes me angry. ppl should protest till the government hears what they have to say and unterstand that its wrong and make it illegal.
On November 24, 2006, Theresa wrote:
I live in Canada and I’m ashamed of CANADA, so please remember I’m on your side. No animal in this world deserves this treatment. Animals want to be loved and left alone in their own environment!
On December 6, 2006, Anil wrote:
This clearly justifies the claim that human beings are THE most cruel ANIMALS on this planet!!! SHAME ON US!!!
On December 6, 2006, Anil wrote:
This clearly justifies the claim that human beings are THE most cruel ANIMALS on this planet!!! SHAME ON US!!!
On January 13, 2007, Annoyed wrote:
Its unfortunate that you people are so misinformed and uneducated on the subject. Point in fact the seals are overpopulated, and the hunting off them has not hurt their numbers, but brought it to a point that the enviorment can sustain a healthy level. And besides if i find it ironic for you to think that the money the newfoundlanders make from the seal isn’t insentive enough to keep them around. Just like the 30 000 price tag on a lion is more than incentive enough to keep them around for africans who find them nothing more than pests and a danger to their livlihood. Remember hunters do more for the enviorment and wildlife than any other group, we care more than you. We were the first conservationists and we will be the last. I’ve never seen once any anti-hunting group bring scientifical envidence that the legal and government regulated harvest of animals to be harmful to the enviorment. If hunters didn’t pay to hunt, the rest of the country would have to pay to keep the populations healthy and in check. Hunting is good for the enviorment, and anyone who hunts and buys a tag is already doing something besides complaining about animals getting killed because they are cute. Lifes unfair and animals have to die, so either you let people pay to do it because they love it or you watch taxes go up for increased wildlife control. Stop complaining and get yourself a bow and do something.
[ Blog editors’ note: Agreeed, seals are
cuter than those who say animals have to die because
life is unfair. David, you wouldn’t know the truth if it jumped up and shook your hand.]
On March 29, 2007, Canadian wrote:
The seal hunt is a part of rural Canadian economy. It is an important source of food and income for coastal societies. The seal populations are healthy, some of the highest numbers in years. Almost all of the seal is used, fur, oil, and meat are viable Canadian exports. Obviously there are a few people who will be inhumane and irresponsible, but arent there in any animal industry? Canada enforces regulations about how seals are to be killed humanely. Us Canadians are not monsters, we do not get a power trip from killing seals as some of you ‘animal rights’ people seem to think. I hope you guys oppose eating beef and pork as much as you do the canadian seal hunt, because they are basically the same thing, except baby cows and pigs may not be as furry or cuddly looking as seals. In fact, it is mostly adult seals that are harvested. A lot of the arguments on this page are very childish, uninformed, and just plain laughable.
On April 17, 2007, From Africa wrote:
Dear all, mostly you who call themselves annoyed - canadian:
Do you have a scientific evidence to sptop you for killing baby seals? Shame on you, i feel ashamed to need to answer all your invalid arguments. We all are animals in this planet,what makes us different from the others is that we can think, but as far as i see you don’t. Don’t you dare to talk about african people and their customs because you don’t know about it. Canadians or any other foreigners that kill baby animals with cruelty and for fun is inmoral, unnaceptable and must be penalized.
On June 10, 2007, A Reader wrote:
most of the hunters here say that hunting is good and they “like doing it” but i have a feeling that if there kids were being bashed on the head by giants with clubs they wouldn’t be so fond of hunting. they only like it because they know they aren’t the ones getting harmed its there way of keeping control over others. Most of them don’t even realize it either. This needs to stop now. by they way i am not very familiar with all if this animal cruelty stuff, any idea on how long it generally takes to get a problem of this size solved?
On June 10, 2007, Sierra wrote:
How could you do this they are killing so many and now they are saying killing animals and just leaving them there is a “sport” how the hell is that a sport!!!! I getting really pissed off!!! Everyone needs to get together and stop this!! and Canadian the seals aren’t being killed humanely I saw the pictures on myspace!!! you should be ashamed of what people of ur country are doing to these animals that have no voice and no why to defend themselves!!! I am 13 years old and cannot do very much to stop this from happening but most of you are what? 20-40 you have a lot more voice and shouldn’t just be writting comments on this I am begging you with all my heart please try to stop this!! When I grow up and have kids I want them to be able to see the seals and not just pictures of them or only in the zoo because they are all dead or most of them are! I pray everynight that this whole thing will stop and God hasn’t answered my prayers yet but hopefully he will soon!
On June 10, 2007, Sierra wrote:
Theresa, I’m so glad that you agree with us because most Canadians don’t believe how crel this is and how bad they are treating these animals!
On June 18, 2007, Jenna wrote:
the government is absolutly CLUELESS. canadian government- “ohh seal killing! sounds like fun-lets go kill hopeless animals! whoopee! lets keep doing it till there extinct!”
On June 25, 2007, michelle wrote:
honestly…
i do love animals.
but…
they are not calling this a sport like baseball or football.
it is a sport like deer or duck hunting.
probably closely related to deer hunting here in ohio.
more dear have been allowed to be killed each season because of overpopulation.
and i bet that that is why they are allowing so many seals to be killed each season too.
sure it sounds cruel.
but so does killing second-born children in china.
though it is brutal, it’s they way to keep things under control.
using their pelts is just one way to benifit from the tragic truth that it is.
On July 12, 2007, katie wrote:
i think that it soo horrible hunting animals if you were animal you wouldn’t want to get hunted and killed just for your fur everyone deserves to have life which really gets on my nerves i really hate it i think it should be stopped and never to do it again just leave everyone alone why would you want to see an animal in pain its so out of order!
On December 7, 2007, from Canada wrote:
I am from BC and just heard of this. Honestly I bawled. I am so ashamed that I would belong to a country participating in something like this.
HELP! what is something I can do that will actually change what is happening? … If we want to control population look who is the most overpopulated animals on earth. No that is another topic for another day, all I know is that I will never bring another human to earth.
On December 11, 2007, Nadia Quinton wrote:
I was unbelievably unaware of the killing of seals that has been made out into a sport. I really would love to help end this, is there anyone who can give me an idea of how to help?
On December 28, 2007, anna wrote:
I sent an email to everyone on my email list to try to end this. it’s terrible. there should be a number or something to call and stop this. i love seals when they are alive. i started crying when i saw the pictures of hurt/dead seals. I am going to do something about it. don’t know what but i am!
On July 18, 2008, Srivatsa wrote:
…It’s a pity that mankind still has not learned to live in harmony with nature…