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!

The International Fund for Animal Welfare's Seals Communications Officer Katie McConnell talks with J.C. Bouvier about the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans decision to allow 275,000 seal pups to be killed during the 2008 commercial seal hunt.

Click here to listen to the podcast!

The International Fund for Animal Welfare's J.C. Bouvier spoke with the IFAW Seals Communications Officer Katie McConnell about recent statements made by Candian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Minister Loyola Hearn.  Minister Hearn's comments, in particular a quote referring to Canadian's as 'wussies' was also discussed...this podcast runs about 7 minutes.  Visit ifaw.org for more information.

Click here to listen to the podcast!

The International Fund for Animal Welfare's Seal campaign team members Sheryl Fink (Senior Researcher) & Katie McConnell (Communications Officer) discuss the recent release of the European Food and Safety Authority's report on seal hunting practice around the world and offer some analysis and observations.

Click here to listen to the podcast!

IFAW's Online Community Coordinator speaks with Wildlife and Habitat Seals Communications Officer Katie McConnell about this weeks seals news...including Canada's exploratory request to review the Dutch and Belgian seal product bans with the World Trade Organization and the British decision to wait for the EU to make a ban decision before proceeding with the possibility of organizing a ban of their own.

Download ifaw_seals_news_podcast_10_2_07.mp3

IFAW's Online Community Coordinator speaks with Wildlife and Habitat Seals Communications Officer Katie McConnell about this weeks seals news...

Download ifaw_seals_news_9_18_2007.mp3

We're off to a fast start...Seal News Podcast - Episode 2 is now available.  More to come.

Download ifaw_seals_news_8_27_07.mp3

Hi all -

I'm happy to post our first 'Seal News Podcast'...stay tuned for regular weekly episodes...and please send any feedback to me directly.  jc bouvier [at] ifaw [dot] org.  Thanks and enjoy!

Download ifaw_seals_news_8_22_07.mp3