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

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The International Fund for Animal Welfare's senior researcher Sheryl Fink was on the ice in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence while these photos of sealers working were captured. Her quotes are included in this slide show. For more information please visit http://www.stopthesealhunt.org

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In this podcast produced by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, senior researcher Sheryl Fink talks about her experiences while on the ice during the 2009 Canadian commercial seal hunt.

Right-click here to download the podcast.

This short piece created by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, makes the point that the Canadian seal hunt quota has increased in a year when the European Union is voting on enacting more stringent bans on the importation of seal products from Canada and the Russian government has banned the hunting of harp seal pups under 1 year of age.

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In this Seal Hunt 2009 podcast, the International Fund for Animal Welfare's Patricia Zaat discusses the steps required to secure observers permits for the Canadian commercial seal hunt.

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The International Fund for Animal Welfare's Sheryl Fink talks about day one of the 2009 Canadian commercial seal hunt. Take action to end this cruel hunt today.

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In this edition of the Seals News Podcast, the International Fund for Animal Welfare's Seals Communications Officer Katie McConnell speaks about a suggested ban of the Hakapik and the effect of European efforts to ban the import of seal products on the Canadian sealing industry.

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WARNING: This Video contains graphic images of seal hunting.

In this video, the International Fund for Animal Welfare's Research Scientist Sheryl Fink talks about this opening day footage of the 2008 Canadian commercial seal hunt.

“We will use every avenue we can within the law to keep people as far away from the hunt as we can.” Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn, before the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.  October, 2006.

And so they did. Today was the opening day of the commercial harp seal hunt here in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and even though we had long ago filled out our observation licence applications, gone through the personal interviews, and paid our licence fees, the seal hunt was opened with not a single observer licence issued.

We decided to head out anyway.

Het HuntWatch team is aangekomen in Charlottetown en begonnen met de voorbereiding voor de jacht. Vandaag hebben we de coördinaten van de kustwacht gekregen waar de belangrijkste groepen zeehonden zich bevinden.

Beide IFAW helikopters zijn vandaag uitgevlogen. Één helikopter vertrok met het communicatieteam bestaande uit Stewart Cook (fotograaf), Chris Nickless (cameraman)en Sheryl Fink (campaigner)en in de andere helikopter Robbie Marsland (directeur IFAW Engeland), Cheryl Jacobson (coördinator zeehondenteam) en ik zelf.

De meeste zeehonden zitten vlak bij de kust dit jaar, tussen het oostelijke puntje van Prins Edward eiland en Cape Breton en er waren redelijk veel zeehonden te zien in dit gebied. Er is dit jaar kwalitatief goed ijs, dus konden we veilig landen.

Morgen hebben onze piloten een afspraak met het D.F.O. (Canadees ministerie van LNV) om vergunningen te regelen voor de ochtend. We zijn van plan beide helikopters in te zetten voor meer observatie en documentatie van de zeehondengroep in de namiddag. Sheryl Fink reist mee met het SKY TV team om interviews regelen voor hun bemanning en op te treden als hun ijsgids.

De startdatum is nog niet officieel, maar we blijven anticiperen dat de jacht aanstaande donderdag, 27 maart begint. Het D.F.O. heeft morgen overleg over een mogelijke startdatum. Komt u morgen terug voor meer nieuws!