IFAW: EFSA reports to European Commission finds Canada’s commercial seal hunt inhumane

INTERNATIONAL FUND FOR ANIMAL WELFARE

Press release, for immediate release

EFSA reports to European Commission finds Canada’s commercial seal hunt inhumane

(Parma, Italy – 20 December 2007) – At the request of the European Commission, The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) today released its report on the Animal Welfare Aspects of Seal Hunting, finding there is absolutely no scientific evidence to support the Canadian government’s claims that its commercial seal hunt is ‘humane’.

Experts with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), are delighted that the report sets the record straight – Canada’s commercial seal hunt is inherently inhumane.

“The Canadian government’s claim that 98% of the seals are killed humanely in the commercial seal hunt is exposed in the report as being scientifically incorrect. This report reveals the truth about Canada’s commercial seal hunt, and destroys one of the greatest myths constantly propagated by the Canadian government,” said Sheryl Fink, Senior Researcher with IFAW.

In its examination of Canada’s commercial seal hunt, the EFSA scientists found that:

there is strong evidence that, in practice, effective killing does not always occur;
there is evidence that, during Canada’s commercial seal hunt, animals suffer pain and distress (ie, are inhumanely killed);
sealers often do not comply with the Canadian regulations in relation to manually checking the skull or administering a blinking reflex test;
in contrast to current practice, attempts to kill seals should not be made where the seal does not pose a stable target or the sealer may be unbalanced, such as on shifting ice floes;
seal hunts should be opened up to independent inspections without undue interference.

EFSA concludes that seals should be recognised as sentient marine mammals that can experience pain, distress, fear and other suffering – not fish, as they are classified in Canada. It also recommends seals should be protected from killing and skinning practices that cause pain, distress and avoidable suffering.

The report draws an important distinction between the prescribed methods for stunning and killing seals described in Canada’s Marine Mammal Regulations and the methods that are actually employed during Canada’s commercial seal hunt.

“IFAW has been documenting Canada’s commercial seal hunt for decades and has witnessed unspeakable acts of cruelty on the ice,” said Ms Fink.

IFAW submitted unedited footage to the EFSA Panel that clearly showed the hooking and dragging of live seals, wounded seals suffering for long periods of time and few sealers administering basic tests to ensure seals are dead prior to skinning.

Robbie Marsland, Director of IFAW UK, said: “The writing is on the wall – the government of Canada must now admit what the EFSA report makes clear; Canada’s commercial seal hunt is inhumane, current regulations do not satisfy modern standards of animal welfare and they are unenforceable. It is time for Canada to abandon this cruel and unnecessary hunt.”

Ends

Contact: For more information, footage and photographs visit www.stopthesealhunt.org or contact Clare Sterling at IFAW on 020 7587 6708, mobile 07917 507717 or email csterling@ifaw.org

Notes for Editors:

EFSA assessed from an animal welfare perspective the scientific evidence on different methods of killing and skinning seals.

In response to recent public concerns relating to animal welfare aspects of the killing of seals, several EU Member States are considering, or in the process of introducing, national legislative measures banning the use and importation of seal skins and seal products.

In September 2006, the European Parliament adopted a written declaration requesting the Commission immediately draft a regulation to ban the import, export and sale of all harp and hooded seal products, while ensuring this measure would not have an impact on traditional Inuit seal hunting which only accounts for 3% of the current hunt.

In January 2007, recognising the significant level of public concern, and in line with its commitment to high animals welfare standards, the Commission undertook to make a full and objective assessment of the animal welfare aspects of the methods used for the killing and skinning of seals.

The Commission asked the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to issue a scientific opinion on:

the animal welfare aspects of the methods currently being used, particularly non-traditional methods, for killing and skinning seals in respective range states; and
to assess, on the basis of current scientific knowledge including other available information on different killing and skinning practices, the most appropriate/suitable killing methods for seals which reduce as much as possible unnecessary pain, distress and suffering.

The Scientific Panel for Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) of the European Food Safety Authority adopted the current Scientific Opinion on 6 December 2007. The Members of the AHAW Scientific Panel were: Bo Algers, Harry J. Blokhuis, Donald M. Broom, Patrizia Costa, Mariano Domingo, Mathias Greiner, Daniel Guemene, Jörg Hartung, Frank Koenen, Christine Muller-Graf, David B. Morton, Albert Osterhaus, Dirk U. Pfeiffer, Ron Roberts, Moez Sanaa, Mo Salman, J. Michael Sharp, Philippe Vannier, Martin Wierup, Marion Wooldridge.