Canadian seal hunt begins today

[Guest guest]

Hi,

 

Unfortunately it's that time of year again and the annual hunt began today

in full force across the ice floes of eastern Canada. IFAW representatives

are there and photographs and video will be available soon.

 

Thanks for your interest,

 

Kerry

 

Kerry Branon

Communications Coordinator

International Fund for Animal Welfare

75 Attucks Lane

Hyannis, MA 02601

508-744-2068

kbranon <kbranon

www.ifaw.org <http://www.ifaw.org>

 

 

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = " urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office " />

 

 

 

Suite 612, 1 Nicholas Street, Ottawa Canada * International Headquarters, 75

Attucks Lane, Hyannis, MA 02601, USA

 

 

 

 

For Immediate Release

 

 

Contact:

 

Kerry Branon (IFAW) - US Tel: (508) 744-2068; E-mail: kbranon

<kbranon

 

 

 

Note to editors: Photographs and video footage from this year's hunt are

available

 

To see the footage and decide for yourself, click on www.ifaw.org

<http://www.ifaw.org>

 

 

 

 

 

Canadian Seal Hunt Begins Today

 

 

 

(Charlottetown, Canada - 24 March 2004) - Despite international

condemnation, the commercial hunt for Canadian seal pups began today across

the ice floes of eastern Canada, and IFAW (the International Fund for Animal

Welfare - www.ifaw.org <http://www.ifaw.org/> ) is out on the ice to monitor

sealing activity and document hunting violations.

 

 

 

The hunt, which is heavily subsidized by the Canadian government, is

expected to take as many as 350,000 seals over the next few weeks. Seals may

be killed once they begin to moult their fluffy white coats - as young as 12

days old. Ninety-five percent of the seals killed in the hunt are under

three months of age.

 

 

 

IFAW representatives are monitoring and documenting this year's hunt, both

from the air and on the ice itself. In the last five years alone, IFAW has

submitted video evidence of more than 660 probable violations of Canada's

marine mammal regulations to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).

To date, not a single one has been investigated. These abuses include

skinning live seals, dragging live seals across the ice with hooks and

shooting seals and leaving them to suffer.

 

 

 

Sealers are required by law to perform a simple test to determine if the

seal is dead before skinning it. IFAW observers did not witness any sealers

performing this test. IFAW submitted the footage to the DFO as evidence of

extreme cruelty to animals and gross infractions of the marine mammal

regulations that control the commercial seal hunt. Last month, a DFO

representative contacted IFAW to say they would not be pressing charges.

 

 

 

About IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare)

 

IFAW (The International Fund for Animal Welfare) was founded in 1969 to end

the Canadian baby seal hunt. Over the next two decades, IFAW won many hard

fought victories for seals, including the 1982 European Union ban of

whitecoat and blueback sealskins. These aggregate victories stopped the baby

seal hunt in the 1980s - arguably the most visible and important that has

ever occurred in the animal welfare movement. Two years ago the seal hunt

returned and it is bigger than ever. To learn how to help IFAW protect

seals, please visit www.ifaw.org

 

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The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW -- <a

href= " http://www.ifaw.org " >www.ifaw.org</a>) works to improve the welfare of

wild and domestic animals throughout the world by reducing commercial

exploitation of animals, protecting wildlife habitats, and assisting animals in

distress. IFAW 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.

 

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