East Coast Canada Seal Slaughter going on, Obama works to end it

[Annces]

Barack Obama and his new European allies are about to declare war... on Canada. They are demanding the country outlaws the barbaric annual seal slaughter that will claim the lives of 280,000 new-born pups. The European Union will next month urge its member states to join Belgium and Holland in banning seal product imports.

And at last week’s G20 summit, Obama made a behind-the-scenes plea to PM Gordon Brown for Britain to join the crusade. The US President has been trying to end the seal trade since 2005 when, as a Chicago senator, he voted in favour of a Senate resolution condemning the Canadian Government.

The EU debate, due to take place between May 4 and 7, will be too late to stop this year’s killing of the animals for their skins as the season ends on May 15.

After landing by helicopter in the Gulf of St Lawrence, off Canada’s east coast, Cook witnessed scores of pups being killed by skin traders using an instrument called a hakapik. He said: “The baby seal has its skull crushed by the hammerhead side. The fishermen say it often takes three blows to ensure it is dead.

“The saddest sight is to see one flapping its flippers as it tries to escape after a hunter has failed to deliver a clean hit.”

Katie McConnell, spokesman for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said: “We implore the EU next month to ban imports of seal furs and products.

“It is sheer barbarity. And it’s time to end the slaughter.”

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view/75549/Canada-s-culling-fields/



RELATED Story

No pelt processing
L'Anse au Clair seal plant won't operate
BY JONATHAN RUSSELL
Northern Pen

Barry's Fisheries, which buys processed seals pelts, has yet to contract the Labrador Fishermen's Union Shrimp Company Limited (LFUSCL) for the job. LFUSCL general manager Gilbert Linstead said in past years the buyer would have expressed interest by the end of March, a couple weeks before the annual seal hunt. As of April 2, no deal has been reached, Mr. Linstead said.

"Usually every year we know at this time whether or not they're interested. Right now they haven't expressed any interest," he said. "So far. I don't know what will happen tomorrow; but so far, they haven't. Usually what they'll do is give us an amount of what they're prepared to buy in this area, and this year they haven't given us an indication of any because there's so much on the world markets, on the uncertainty surrounding the vote on the ban."

Uncertain global markets and the upcoming European Union vote on a proposed seal products ban may cause apprehension among buyers in the province. European Parliament has postponed the vote to a later date, likely the end of April or early May. L'Anse au Clair Mayor Nath Moores said he's dubious the seal hunt will play out as in years past because buyers haven't decided what to do, compounded with the fact that Barry's, in particular, has pelts left over from last year.

http://www.northernpen.ca/index.cfm?sid=239445&sc=361

[flvegan]

1. Canada says they'll file a complaint with the WTO if the EU

bans seal pelts.

Ha! Good luck with that, Canada.

I think that the EU will ban them outright, and this will either be the last year for the hunt, or the next to the last year for the hunt. Good riddance.

[Annces]

2. Canada government knows they are in trouble

They just are keeping it hush-hush and putting out a big media campaign.