IFAW: First hunting footage from this year’s Canadian seal hunt

The first hunting footage and images from this year’s Canadian commercial seal hunt are available from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

Despite a lack of demand worldwide for seal fur and overwhelming public opposition both in Europe and within Canada itself, the annual slaughter of seal pups began yesterday (Mon) with a total allowable catch (TAC) for 280,000 harp seals.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) opposes Canada’s commercial seal hunt because of its unacceptable cruelty. The largest marine mammal hunt in the world sees seals being clubbed or shot, primarily so their fur can be used to provide luxury items for the fashion industry.

The 2009 Canadian commercial seal hunt will be under close scrutiny around the world as the European Union stands poised to ban the trade in seal products from commercial hunts.

Robbie Marsland, UK Director of IFAW, said: “This hunt is unacceptably cruel and involves the slaughter of more than a quarter of a million seal pups a year for fashion products that nobody needs. With the European Union poised to ban products from cruel commercial seal hunts, and falling markets for seal pelts, it is time for this hunt to end once and for all.

“We believe an outright ban on seal products from commercial hunts would send an important message to the Canadian government that people in the UK and the rest of Europe want no part in this cruelty. IFAW monitors will continue to peacefully bear witness to the utter cruelty of this hunt.”

Recent economic evaluations have indicated that the market for seal fur is saturated, causing prices to drop by almost half. Processors report that sales of seal pelts all but stopped at the end of 2007, and in early 2009, still do not appear to have recovered.

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Notes for Editors:

Belgium, Croatia and the Netherlands already have national trade bans on seal products from commercial hunts. Hungary, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Italy have also taken steps towards bans designed to close down markets for seal pelts. Elsewhere, bans are also in place in the US and Mexico.

Last year more than 217,000 seals were killed, 99.8% of which were pups under three months old.

The proposed EU trade ban would not affect Inuit seal hunting.

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Contact information and access to footage and images:

For more information or to arrange interviews please contact Clare Sterling in Charlottetown on +44 (0)7917 507717 or email csterling@ifaw.org. Alternatively, during UK office hours, contact Rosa Argent on 020 7587 6715, mobile 07801 613530.

Broadcast-quality footage and high-res images are being uploaded and will be available shortly on www.hdvideotaxi.com

For more information on IFAW, please visit www.ifaw.org