Today is: 07.05.2008
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Canada Still Kills |
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By
Kathleen Fox, Media Buyer, Harpseals.org
Most of us thought the slaughter of those cute baby seals with the big
black eyes had ended long ago. The truth of the matter is, more seals are
being killed in Canada
today than were killed in the 1970's and 1980's. They're
still being slaughtered in the same horrific manner, and yes they are babies. 95%
of the seals killed are between 12 days and 4 months old.
In 2006 over 335,000 seals
were killed. Over three million harp seal pups have perished in this annual
massacre over the past decade....three
million.... This year, the ice conditions in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, were so bad that over 250,000 seal pups drowned. There was not
enough ice for the pups, and they were too young to swim. With the Global
Climate Change, this is bound to get worse.
Despite this tragedy, the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans
(DFO) allowed another 270,000 harp seals pups to be killed by sealers this year.
In an article in the St. John's
Telegram Newspaper (Jan.22, 2007), the DFO's leading scientist stated
that if sealers continue to harvest at the same rates over the next few years,
it could spell trouble for the herd population. "It means if we continue to take (the current quota of) 325,000
seals (each year), what we're predicting is that we've got two,
maybe three, years before it becomes a conservation concern," he
said
Add the conservation issues to the issue of barbaric cruelty, and one
can't help but wonder, "How can this continue?" And in a
‘civilized' country like Canada? One sealer opened a window
into his mind, in an interview with a reporter from the Toronto Star (April 21,
2007) he said "We all go out for the
love of it rather than the money, which isn't there anymore." But
the majority of the Canadian population (outside of Newfoundland
and the Magdalen Islands) is firmly opposed to this
slaughter. Unfortunately, they have not been able to get their government to
listen to the majority opinion.
This year each dead seal pup will be worth a total of $55 to the
sealers, which is split among the ship captain (50-60%) and the sealing crew.
These sealers, who are actually off-season fishermen, will earn only about 5%
of their annual income from sealing. Nevertheless, they go on a rampage,
clubbing and shooting literally every seal pup in sight. They hook them, drag
them and skin many while they are still alive. What starts out as a pristine
white ice floe, ends up red with blood and the carcasses of baby pups strewn
all over the ice.
The fur they take from the pups is sold in Europe and Asia
to become fur coats, purses, and boots. It's been illegal in the U.S
since 1972, thanks to the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Several countries in
Europe have also banned, or are working on banning the imports of seal skins,
including Austria, Belgium, Germany,
Croatia, and Italy.
The European Union is also looking into an EU-wide ban.
When people are made aware of what's happening to the seals in Canada, they
are appalled and disgusted, but don't think there is anything they can do
to stop it. That is not the case.....Americans
purchase 70% of the seafood exports from Canada, which add up to billions of
dollars each year. We can put more economic pressure on the sealers, and the
industry that supports sealing by boycotting
Canadian seafood. The Barry Group, a major Canadian seafood
wholesaler and exporter, owns the second largest seal skin processing plant.
Other Canadian seafood companies remain silent, tacitly lending their support
to the seal slaughter. Americans can push the Canadian seafood industry to
oppose the seal kill. This in itself is enough to end the slaughter.
Restaurant owners, chefs, supermarket seafood managers, and seafood
distributors can help by sourcing out seafood from other countries. We can all help
by avoiding any seafood labeled "Product of Canada" at grocery
stores, and ordering non-Canadian seafood at restaurants.
Please visit www.harpseals.org
to see a list of stores and restaurants that have joined the boycott, and find
out the many ways you can help. There is a lot to learn about this barbaric
"tradition", the more you learn, the more you will want to help.
I'm a perfect example of that, when I first viewed the harpseals.org
website over a year ago, I could not look the other way.
Please help to end this cruel, senseless, slaughter....These
beautiful creatures are depending on us.
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