Victory for Seals! EU Bans Import and Trade of all Seal Products.

40 years ago, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) was founded with the goal of ending the cruel commercial seal hunt in Canada.

Now reaching that goal is closer than ever.

The European Parliament voted 550 to 49 to ban the trade of seal products within the EU. This decisive measure truly reflects the will of Europe’s citizenry, and slams the door on the sale of seal products in Europe from this inhumane and unsustainable industry.

In achieving this ban, 7 of Canada’s 10 top export markets, representing 85% of total exports are officially closed for business.

In Canada, some sealers have started to close down shop as well, citing poor pelt prices and lack of buyers. On April 16th of this year, only six “longliner” sealing vessels left port to start the hunt in Newfoundland compared to more than 113 ships active only a few short years ago.

Jack Troake, one of Canada’s most outspoken proponents of the commercial hunt, opted to stay home. With pelt prices having dropped to as little as $15 each, this was clearly an easy and wise decision to make.

The implementation of this ban will have a permanent quantifiable impact on the remaining international trade in the fur of these helpless creatures.

IFAW believes it may be the beginning of the end to the Canadian commercial seal hunt. This landslide vote demonstrates an enormous resolve to institute this ban across Europe as quickly as possible.

However this victory is only for one battle, the war continues to be waged and we need your continued support to help us put an end to the cruelty once and for all…we must now shift our focus back to Canada to support the courage of Senator Mac Harb and his efforts to ban the practice in his own country.

IFAW is calling on everyone to help make a final push and tell the Canadian embassy officials in their countries to end commercial seal hunting forever.

The end is in sight, will you take 5 minutes to help the seals? Please visit www.stopthesealhunt.org right now.

The article below published yesterday in several Sun media outlets by Greg Weston is a good indication of a dawning awareness in Canada.- Sheryl Fink

Finally! People are realizing that commercial sealing in Canada isn't about economic necessity. No, it is about regional politics, and special interest groups such as the Fur Industry that are wielding their power over the federal government when it comes to this issue. How else can we explain the Canadian government's insistence on supporting the seal hunt, when the majority of Canadians are opposed to it?

Unfortunately, Weston's article repeats the government myth that anti-sealing campaigns show whitecoat seals being killed: highly unlikely since any such photos would be at least 20 years old. The truth is that Europeans - and most Canadians - are equally repulsed by the inhumane killing of seal pups of any age, whether it be a 2 week old whitecoat, or a 3 week old "beater" with its silvery-spotted coat (the current seals targetted in Canada's commerical seal hunt).

It has long been said that in war, truth is the first casualty, and that certainly applies to the highly political "seal war" that currently rages in Canada and Europe.

An illustrative example is provided by Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette’s letter in the March 25 edition of Embassy in which she attempts to demonize organizations that hold views contrary to her own. When opponents use such tactics—as the Liberals and their former leader know only too well—the facts invariably take a beating.

In this podcast produced by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, senior researcher Sheryl Fink relates her experience while on the ice during the 2009 Canadian commercial seal hunt. Take action today: http://www.stopthesealhunt.org

Right-click here to download the podcast. 

Click on the image below to read IFAW Science Advisor Dr. David Lavigne's op-ed