Canada’s Commercial Seal Slaughter: A Dying Industry

BACKGROUND | SOURCE PETA

Every year, the Canadian government allows fishers in their off season to bludgeon and shoot seals to death. The U.S., the E.U., Mexico, and Russia—which had been importing 95 percent of Canadian seal pelts—have all banned seal fur. Around the world, the seal slaughter is an issue of cruelty to animals, and within Canada, it’s also an issue of government waste. A 2010 study by a professor at the University of Guelph found that ending the commercial seal slaughter would save Canadian taxpayers at least $7 million a year. The only reason why the government continues to prop up this dying industry is because both liberals and conservatives are desperate to control the swing seats in Canada’s Atlantic region.


WHAT YOU CAN DO

People disgusted by the cruel and wasteful seal slaughter should take action to support Canadian Senator Mac Harb’s Bill S-210, which would end the massacre and transition people in sealing regions into sustainable economic programs.

for those who hunt me because i am a seal
did you ever stop to think just how i feel
i just want to sit on my rocks and ice
if you would leave me be, that would be so nice
my fur is mine, not yours for the taking
just look at all the red blood you are making
go back to your homes, your families, your wives
and leave us seals alone to enjoy our lives

Karen Lyons Kalmenson