Sealing Industry Future On Thin Ice

[Omaha Steve]

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Sealing Industry Future On Thin Ice

February 13, 2006

WASHINGTON – Noting a growing international backlash against the Canadian sealing industry, The Humane Society of the United States today congratulated the Italian Government for its decision last week to ban the imports of seal products temporarily and its introduction of a bill to permanently halt the trade. The bill was supported by all parties in the current governing coalition.

The HSUS recognized the efforts of Italian animal protection group Lega Anti Vivisezioni, which has worked for several years to expose the brutality of Canada's commercial seal hunt in Italy.

"Globally, the markets for Canadian seal products are closing. The Italian decision alone will put an end to a trade valued at several million euros in 2005," stated Rebecca Aldworth, director of Canadian wildlife issues for The Humane Society of the United States. "Clearly, Canada's commercial sealing industry is in trouble."

The Italian decision followed last week's decision by the Mexican government to ban all trade in seal products, and the announcement by the Greenland government earlier this year that it would stop the imports of Canadian sealskins, just 23 hours after The HSUS' 2005 seal hunt footage was broadcast on national television. These countries are joined by four European nations currently working to ban the trade in all seal products.


Full story at link:
http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/sealing_industry_future_on.html

[benburch]

1. Aww, too bad!

Now the Canadians won't get to club baby seals to death and skin them and leave their still-warm bodies on the ice for their mothers to mourn!

http://www.animalsvoice.com.nyud.net:8090/IMAGES/seal_watch.jpg

http://www.commondreams.org.nyud.net:8090/headlines05/images/0331-01.jpg

http://rense.com.nyud.net:8090/general58/sealhunt19.jpg

http://www.gan.ca.nyud.net:8090/images/photos/sealhunt_8_large.jpg

[GrpCaptMandrake]

2. How bad off

does one human being have to be to do that for a living? Damn! Just day-um!

[Kagemusha]

6. It helps if you're First Nations (formerly known as Indians)

You want bad off? Try them. A lot of pretty bad off whites in that part of Canada too because of the general fisheries industry collapse.

Not that I like seal hunting - I don't personally approve - but your question need not be rhetorical as if no one can possibly be that bad off. Sorry, no. Even in Canada.

[pinniped]

3. I recall the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco had a display with....

a harp seal.

It think there was a trail of blood accompanying it.

Does anyone remember this exhibit?

Note: it wasn't a live harp seal

[dusty64]

7. I hope they go out of business,

but I've been waiting a long time for that. Those pics are awful, I try to avoid looking whenever possible and can't look at literature that Sea Shepards and IFAW send to me.

[flvegan]

4. Great news for the seals!

Thanks for posting this.

[Barrett808]

5. Sea Shepherd info on Canadian seal slaughter

http://seashepherd.org/seals/seals.html

[kwolf68]

8. Way to go Italy

I see Mexico has also banned it....It will be interesting if Mexico is sued under NAFTA to overturn the law. That kind of brutality is beyond words....we are ushering in a more evil world by the day...