Media
Russia Bans the Import and Export of Harp Seal Skins
Respect for Animals welcomes the news that Belarus, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation have banned the import and export of harp seal skins as a massive victory in the campaign to end the commercial seal hunt in Canada.
Canada claims that Russia is one of the last two major remaining markets for Canadian seal products, reportedly importing up to 90% of Canada's seal pelts.
The European Union ban on the placing on the market of commercial seal products came into force in 2010 and, in 2009, Russia ended its own harp seal hunt.
At the time, Russia's Minister of Natural Resources Yury Trutnev said, "The bloody seal slaughter, the killing of the defenseless animals, which can't be even called a 'hunt,' is now prohibited in Russia as it is in most developed countries. It is a serious step towards the conservation of biodiversity in Russia." Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin also described seal hunting as a "bloody industry" that "should have been banned years ago".
Mark Glover of Respect for Animals said today: "The loss of the Russian market for seal products is a bitter blow to the Canadian government. This ban sends a message to Canada that products from this cruel hunt are no longer wanted and it is time to do the right thing and end this unnecessary hunt as soon as possible."
