Petition to Parliament: 30,000 say ‘stop seal imports into UK’

Monday, July 24, 2006

Judy Mallaber MP (Amber Valley), today delivered a petition to Parliament, the first of a series of petitions, this one signed by 30,000 UK residents, calling on the UK government to act urgently to prohibit the import of all seal products into the UK.

The petition was delivered after the Commemorative Service for Tony Banks, Lord Stratford, who had campaigned for many years to end the annual slaughter of seal pups, killed for their fur, in Canada. Lady Sally Stratford has agreed to continue Tony’s work, spearheading a Boycott Canada campaign with Respect for Animals.

A UK based Early Day Motion (no. 237), calling on the UK government to prohibit the import of all seal products into the UK, has attracted the signatures of 214 Members of Parliament

A recently placed European Parliament Written Declaration, calling for a ban on all seal imports into the EU, has been signed by over 280 MEPs to date.

Several EU countries, including Italy, Belgium and Luxembourg, have recently set in place actions to ban the import of such products. The US, Mexico and Croatia already have legislation in place.

Mark Glover, Campaign Director of Respect for Animals said today: ‘This rolling petition is part of Respect for Animals’ campaign to highlight the plight of the hundreds of thousand seal pups slaughtered during the annual Canadian seal hunt - the largest and most brutal marine mammal hunt in the world.

‘The UK government has already voiced its opposition to the hunt, but words are not enough. It must take action now, as other EU countries already have, to halt the import of these products into the UK. Until it does, we all have the seal pups’’ blood on our hands.

‘Respect for Animals is very disappointed with the lack of UK action - how many more seals have to be brutally killed before this government does what the people of Britain want.’

The 30,000 signatures have been collected since the last hunt took place during March and April 2006. Over one million seal pups have been killed over the last four years.

Campaigners plan to continue the rolling petition, and keep delivering the results to Parliament, until the government acts. During a recent debate in the House of Commons, the then Trade Minister, Ian Pearson, said:

‘The association between Canada and seal clubbing clearly does the reputation of Canadians no good at all… The Government take every appropriate opportunity to remind the Canadians of our opposition to the hunt.’

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