International Day of Protest Against Canada's Seal Hunt
New York City — March 15 marks the first day that Canadian seal hunters will club and kill more than 350,000 harp and hooded seal pups on the ice floes off Newfoundland’s coast.
On this day, from noon to 2:00 pm, Friends of Animals, an international animal advocacy organization, will bear witness to this tragic and senseless practice, in an International Day of Protest 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 and the public 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.
Also on this day, activists will hold vigils in solidarity in more than 50 cities in Canada, the United States, Mexico, South America, the Middle East and Europe. The groups are gathering in front of Canadian embassies and consulates in 22 countries.
Seal pelt exports to Europe and Asia have nearly doubled each year since 2002 which was 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. Mother seals defending their pups are often killed along with youngsters. The targeted pups are between 12 days and twelve weeks old, and are often skinned alive.
What fish go through when they are killed is also quite disturbing and therefore we do not encourage a so-called “seafood” boycott. We reject the notion that the public ought to use their capacity to eat marine animals as a tactic to show their support for seals. We respect the entire range of the diverse marine biocommunity.
Priscilla Feral, president of Friends of Animals, states, “The seal kill cannot be morally justified. Seals are not resources or commodities to be traded for convenience or profit; they’re entitled to be left alone. We deplore the seal hunt for the suffering and death it imposes on every single seal.”
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11 Comments
On March 15, 2005, Scott Moran wrote:
Good luck everyone. My demo on Sat in Vermont was very well received and we had alot of very positive feedback and support. Sometimes it is so clear that it takes a small person to kill, and the whole world to stop it…
Scott
On March 15, 2005, Nancy Mace wrote:
I am ashamed to be a Canadian
On March 15, 2005, Lucille Arnusch wrote:
I was not aware of any protest for the seal hunts until after the fact. Is there not a way somehow to get news out to our country, ahead of time. I know that if there were website petitions announced for various animal causes on global national news hundreds and hundreds of Canadians would respond. Just about everyone has a computer and just about everyone loves animals whether it be seals, wolves, small fur bearing animals etc.
The only way to be heard is in numbers.
On March 16, 2005, Joanne wrote:
This gets me sick. All this senseless slaughtering of defenseless animals. This should be put in newspapers on the front page, especially for the people who walk around flaunting what they are wearing.
On March 18, 2005, Marcia wrote:
What are we doing? killing babies in front of their mothers and we are supposed to be civilized beings? When will we
ever learn…
On March 19, 2005, Darek Gzyra wrote:
International Day of Action against Canada’s seal hunt - Warsaw, Poland
Close to fifty people gathered on March 15 at the Canadian Embassy in Warsaw to protest seal hunting. The association Empatia organized the demonstration. Other organizations - Pracownia na Rzecz Wszystkich Istot (Workshop for All Beings) and Viva!, among them, joined in. We had posters and banners, and maple leaves coated in red paint symbolizing blood. We were pinning the red leaves on to the white fabric. During the protest we read aloud the information about seal hunting and shouted: Shame on, Canada! Canadian Consul was presented with a letter of protest ( http://empatia.pl/str.php?dz=3&id=316&str=3 ) sign by demonstration participants, photographs and films of the hunts.
All major newspapers, and some radio and television station gave an account of the event. We have prepared CDs with the photographs, films and reports especially for the journalists, so all of them had the information. Two days before the protest we have launched mass e-mail sending action. Thousands of people send mail protesting the seal hunting to the Canadian Embassy. We also placed the link to IFAW petition on ourweb page.
The pictures from the demonstration can be viewed at:
http://empatia.pl/str.php?dz=75&id=318
On March 21, 2005, Kay and Patrick and Baby Ian wrote:
We were at the protest with you here in nyc. we brought our baby “activist” along. it was a powerful and great experience knowing that we all came together to fight for the seals. as new parents we can’t bear the thought of those babies getting killed in front of their mothers. it’s beyond barbaric.
HUMAN GREED KNOWS NO MERCY!!
On September 17, 2005, Al wrote:
There is a lot of people in this world, that don’t know which way is up. Don’t forget people need meat to live
!!, Seal, moose, Beef, there’s a good one, you do like staek? I’m sured you do, why not seal. Chicken, did you ever see how they slaghter these birds, I bet you don’t know a flidders dick about anything. Turkey,another interesting subject 
, In Holland, people eat RATS, bet you didn’t know that 
On March 26, 2006, Rea wrote:
Okay
SEAL HUNTING NEEDS TO STOP!!!!!!
i dont care what people say about humans needing meat to live!
clubbing seals, why? we alreayd have beef. and we dont need meat to live, i have been vegetarian my whole life, and i am in perfect health.
stop hunting seals for game and everything else!
JUST STOP!!
thanks
On September 12, 2006, Aubrey Hansonen wrote:
You guys need to get a life and stop killing theirs I am also ashamed of being a canadian.
On March 8, 2007, Alex wrote:
referring to a previous persons comment. Noone needs meat to survive, meat provides protein. Protein can be supplemented by a variety of things, beans, for example are very rich in this nutrient. Theres a huge list of things that can supplement anything meat provides. So before you go bashing other people by saying they don’t know a fiddlers dick about somthing know this: these seals are not harvested on a slaughter of epic proportions for their meat, its for their soft fur, these 1-3 week year old pups, for an additional 1% to the fishermans annual pay….its senseless, useless, and disgusting