The world’s largest, most brutal hunt of marine mammals is about to get even larger. Every year, hundreds of thousands of young harp and hooded seals—most only weeks old—are bludgeoned and skinned for their fur and
other products on Canadian ice floes. Regulations regarding the killing
methods are weak and are poorly enforced, leading to scores of seals being
skinned while they are still conscious and sensible to pain.
For 2002, the Canadian government set the official kill quota at 285,000
seals. However, seal hunters chose to completely flout this limit, killing
more than 307,000 animals. The Canadian government stood by during this
violation and did nothing to enforce its own regulations, neither stopping
the hunt nor fining those who knowingly killed in excess of the quota.
Now, the Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has stated that he
wants to increase the official kill quota even beyond 307,000 seals for
2003.
Ten years ago, when the media focus on the seal hunts was greater and the
public outrage louder, such an increase would have been unthinkable.
However, the Canadian government, thinking itself free of public scrutiny,
now believes it can get away with this unprecedented increase in their
annual massacre. It's up to us to prove them wrong!
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Contact Canadian government officials and let them know that the annual
seal hunt continues to be a blight on the international reputation of
Canada. Tell them not to increase the quota and to ban the seal hunts
permanently!
1) The Honorable Robert Thibault
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
15th Floor, 200 Kent Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0E6
Canada
ph: (613) 992-3474
fax: (613) 990-7292
email: Min@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
(note: postage from the U.S. to Canada is 60 cents.)
2) Mr. Michael Kergin
Ambassador
The Canadian Embassy
501 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
ph: 202-682-1740
fax: 202-682-7726
email: wshdc-outpack@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
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