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The Canadian Seal Hunt - Save His Skin, Ban The Trade

The Canadian Seal Hunt - Save His Skin, Ban The Trade

ISPCA / Irish Seal Sanctuary Press Release, Mar 14th 2008

 In a few weeks, hundreds of thousands of defenceless seal pups will be slaughtered in Canada. The Canadian Royal Commission on Seals and Sealing confirmed that the scale and conditions of the commercial seal hunt make it impossible to effectively control the hunt and impossible for sealers to consistently kill seals in a humane way.

The European Food Safety Authority, in its recent report on seal hunts, concluded that: 'There is strong evidence that, in practice, effective killing does not always occur' noting that 'if seals are hit or shot but are not dead, they may be hit or shot again or may be moved or skinned whilst conscious, resulting in avoidable pain, distress, fear and other forms of suffering.'

It has to stop. In 2006 the European Parliament called on the European Commission to ban the trade in seal products. Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimitris has urged Member States to adopt national bans. Belgium, the Netherlands and Slovenia have already banned seal products. Germany, Austria and Italy are considering further legislation.

The message is clear: the suffering of seals is unacceptable. Only an EU wide ban on all seal products will respond to the concerns of millions of European citizens. Ireland imports approximately 1,500 seal skins per annum; our elected representatives in the European Parliament are opposed to the trade - it is now time for our Government and all national politicians to support such a ban.