Causecast

by SARAH NELSON, Contributing Writer

It’s winter in Canada and that means in just a few short months, seal hunting season will come again. Canada’s seal hunting season is the largest commercial slaughter of marine mammals in the world. Since 2005, more than one million seals have been shot or beaten to death for their fur. The rule in Canada is as long as a baby seal is molting its juvenile fur, it’s fair game. About 95 percent of the slaughtered animals are just pups as young as three months old.

As long as there continues to be demand for seal fur, the annual hunt will continue. The United States banned the import of seal products in 1972 and Europe followed a decade later by banning white seal pelts (fur from baby seals). The decline in demand led the Canadian government to reduce hunting quotas significantly.

With fur back in fashion in the last decade, quotas were increased again with seals being slaughtered by the thousands. In 2003, Canada opened the quota up to allow one million seals to be killed over a three year period. Canadian officials excused their approval of seal slaughter by blaming a booming seal population for a slump in commercial fishing stocks. However, scientists report that there is no evidence that killings seals helps restock fish populations.

The Humane Society and other animal rights groups recognize that ending demand for seal fur and putting economic pressure on Canadian markets hold the key to eliminating seal slaughter for good. Their plan is working. The European Union has recently passed legislation banning the import of all seal pelts. The changes in Europe have had a huge effect on the value of seal products, which have dropped to half the value they were a year ago. The net profit from the 2009 seal hunt was a dismal $1.5 million Canadian dollars, while eco-tourism in Canada is on the rise. In 2007, the tourism industry brought in $225 million in profit. Looks like people want to see cute baby seals alive, not as a fashion accessory.

Watch the Humane Society video about Sully, a survivor of the seal hunt. Be warned – it’s hard to watch.

In addition to the legislation passed, the European Union has launched a boycott of Canadian seafood in hopes that a pinch on the Canadian economy will help the government see that stopping the seal hunt is serious business. As long as seals are still dying in Canada, millions of Europeans will be passing on Canadian seafood.

Join the fight to end Canada’s seal hunt. You can be part of the seafood boycott and let Canada know that as long as they continue to kill baby seals, you’re saying no thanks to their fish. You can support the Humane Society by donating to their efforts to help defend Canada’s seals.

In recent months, PETA has also launched their Save the Seals campaign, featuring a slew of celebrity spokespeople. You can see Pamela Anderson, Brody Jenner, Perez Hilton and more speaking out for baby seals.

Photo by —b—, flickr.