Canada's seal hunt sparks protests, seafood boycott CBC News 3-12-05

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Canada's seal hunt sparks protests, seafood boycott

CBC News 3-12-05

Sat, 12 Mar 2005 11:48:25 -0800

 

Canada's seal hunt sparks protests, seafood boycott

Last Updated Fri, 11 Mar 2005 08:31:44 EST

CBC News

MONTREAL - The Humane Society of the United States is

calling for an

international boycott of all Canadian seafood products

in an attempt to

shut

down the commercial seal hunt.

 

The society will kick off its campaign with an

international day of

action

against the seal hunt next Tuesday. Protests will be

held in front of

Canadian consulates and embassies in more than 20

countries.

 

Rebecca Aldworth, director of Canadian wildlife issues

for the Humane

Society, says the hunt is cruel and not properly

regulated.

 

She also says interest in seal fur is growing,

pointing to rising

prices for

pelts as evidence. Aldworth says that's why the group

decided to try a

new

tactic after years of unsuccessfully lobbying the

Canadian government

to

stop the seal hunt.

 

" We're asking Americans and people around the world

not to buy Canadian

fish

and seafood products, which will be clearly labelled

as that, until

Canada

has ended its commercial seal hunt for good, " she said

from her office

in

Montreal.

 

Aldworth says her group is not opposed to subsistence

hunting by

aboriginals.

 

Major environmental and animal protection groups in

Canada, the U.S.

and

Europe say they'll join the boycott.

 

Rallies against the seal hunt are planned for

Vancouver, Ottawa,

Toronto and

Halifax on March 15. A Kelowna rally is scheduled for

this Saturday.

 

The Sea Shepherd Society, whose ship Farley Mowat was

forced into Port

Aux

Basques, Nfld., last Sunday, is backing the Vancouver

rally.

 

The 50-metre vessel left Newfoundland Thursday, headed

for dry-dock in

Lunenburg, N.S.

 

 

MARCH 7, 2005: Coast guard guides leaky conservation

ship into port

A small hole in the hull has been temporarily

repaired. The first

officer

says they expect to arrive in Lunenburg on Saturday.

 

The Farley Mowat was headed for the Magdalen Islands

to document the

annual

seal hunt when it ran into trouble.

 

 

Headlines: Canada