IFAW: Climate change catastrophe – worst ice year on record leads to harp seals’ demise

Thousands of harp seal pups are presumed dead in Canada’s Gulf of St Lawrence and starving pups are being found abandoned on the beaches of Prince Edward Island, tragic victims of the worst ice conditions recorded in eastern Canada.

With the opening of Canada’s cruel annual commercial seal hunt imminent, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) reports that the Gulf of St Lawrence, the annual birthing ground of hundreds of thousands of harp seals, is essentially devoid of both ice and seals.

Sheryl Fink, a senior researcher with IFAW, said: “The conditions this year are disastrous for seal pups. I’ve surveyed this region for nine years and have never seen anything like this.

“There is wide open water instead of the usual ice floes, and rather than the hundreds of thousands of seal pups that we normally encounter, only a handful of baby harp and hooded seals – animals that are normally found on ice – remain on the beaches.”

Extremely high pup mortality is expected this year, making this one of several such occurrences in the past decade. In 2007, 99% of harp seal pups born in the Southern Gulf of St Lawrence are thought to have died due to lack of ice. In 2002, 75% of pups are thought to have suffered the same fate. Scientists with IFAW are concerned that the cumulative effects of high pup mortality due to the poor ice conditions, and high numbers of pups killed during Canada’s commercial seal hunt could be devastating.

Fink added: “Finding these ice-dependent seal species on land is extremely unusual, and should be considered a warning signal. The seal pups we have found on shore are thin and unable to defend themselves or escape from land-based predators. It is highly unlikely that any of these pups will survive long enough for there to be a seal hunt in the Southern Gulf this year.”

Earlier this month, Fisheries Minister Gail Shea increased the total allowable catch of harp seals (TAC) by 50,000, to 330,000 animals. The Minister’s announcement was loudly condemned by animal welfare organisations, conservationists and sealers, in a rare moment of agreement.

Last year, the European Union voted to ban the commercial trade in seal products from commercial hunts.

Robbie Marsland, UK Director of IFAW, said: “It is reckless and irresponsible for the government to allow the hunt to proceed this year, given the high pup mortality that is expected. Under a precautionary approach, we should be protecting the few pups that might escape the devastating effects of climate change this year.

“Given the almost complete lack of demand for seal skins, allowing the commercial slaughter of these survivors to proceed is simply adding insult to injury.”

Ends

For more information and pictures contact Clare Sterling at IFAW in the UK on 020 7587 6708, mobile 07917 507717 or email csterling@ifaw.org

Notes to Editors – Due to poor ice conditions and lack of seals it is likely there will be no hunt in the Southern Gulf with hunting activity in northern areas expected to begin around early April.

Photos and video of struggling seals are available at www.ifawimages.com

About the International Fund for Animal Welfare – As one of the world’s leading animal welfare organisations, IFAW has representation in 16 countries and carries out its animal welfare work in more than 40. IFAW works from its global headquarters in the United States and focuses its campaigns on improving the welfare of wild and domestic animals by reducing the commercial exploitation of animals, protecting wildlife habitats and assisting animals in distress. IFAW works both on the ground and in the halls of government to safeguard wild and domestic animals and seeks to motivate the public to prevent cruelty to animals and to promote animal welfare and conservation policies that advance the well-being of both animals and people. Visit www.ifaw.org