Canada’s seal hunt is the largest annual slaughter of marine mammals in the world
On Tuesday, March 3rd, a Canadian senator made the unorthodox move of proposing an end to the annual Canadian baby seal hunt. The proposal has been getting less than an enthusiastic response in the Canadian government, but it’s the first step towards ending the largest annual slaughter of marine mammals in the world, and you can show your support for this move.
Canadian senator Mac Harb proposed to end the annual commercial seal hunt, which results in the deaths of over 200,000 seals in Canada annually (over a quarter of a million seals in 2008), although no one in the Canadian senate voted to second his proposal.
Despite a lack of local support, Harb’s proposal is indicative of the entire world’s growing disgust of the baby seal pelt industry. For instance, a day before Harb’s proposal, the European Union’s parliament (internal market and consumer protection committee) voted to support the ban of all seal products. Not only that, but even Russia has now banned its own baby seal hunt, as Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin stated that the “bloody industry” should have been banned long ago.
Once again, the Canadian proposal has lacked support in Canada’s government. But you can show your own support for the bill. To send letters of support, the e-mail address for Senator Mac Harb is harbsealbill@sen.parl.gc.ca, and his postal address (free postage since it’s to the House) is:
Senator Mac Harb: House of Commons
Parliament Buildings
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1A 0A6
For more information on the Canadian seal hunt, the marine conservation group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has a helpful page on hunt facts.
