Sickened by cruelty: MEPs and seal hunt observers condemn Canada’s 2007 bloody slaughter

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Members of the European Parliament, Carl Schlyter and Gitte Seeberg, along with representatives of Humane Society International and Respect for Animals, will present shocking new video footage obtained at the 2007 Canadian seal hunt in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, 23rd May. 

The footage shows conscious baby seals stabbed with metal hooks, clubbed with illegal implements and shot and left to suffer in agony. To emphasise that cruelty is not limited to the Canadian slaughter, Odd Lindberg - a former Norwegian sealing inspector - will give a first hand account of his experience of the Norwegian hunt.

Mr. Schlyter and Ms. Seeberg, along with animal protection groups, will call upon European Union Member States, including the UK, to quickly pass legislation to ban seal product trade, and for the European Commission to respect the will of the European Parliament (1) and implement an EU seal product ban.

On March 15th 2007, Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas confirmed in a statement to the European Parliament that: ‘If it is established that seals are being hunted and killed in an inhumane way, a ban on the import and export, as well as the placing of products derived from the seal hunt on the market, will also be considered’ (2). In the same speech he called for member states to bring in their own, national, bans.

Dr Caroline Lucas, MEP for the South-East region of the UK, said today: “The evidence we will witness shows that the commercial seal hunt is inherently inhumane. Despite more than 40 years of study and attempts to improve seal hunting regulations in Canada, observers and veterinarians continue to report consistent and unacceptable cruelty at the slaughter. Europeans are overwhelmingly opposed to participating in this bloodshed through our trade in seal products.”

Mark Glover, Director of Humane Society International (UK) and Respect for Animals said; “A UK ban on the import of seal products is long overdue. Opinion poll research shows that 80% of the UK public want these products banned and, until the government brings in legislation, we all have the blood of the seals on our hands.”

ENDS

Back