by Loren Drummond
The HSUS campaign to protect seals last week joined with the star power of Hollywood, broadcasting a call to end the commercial seal hunt from both West Hollywood and the Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada.
Less than 24 hours before Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans announced that it would allow 270,000 seals to be killed in the 2007 hunt—despite the death of hundreds of thousands of seals because of bad ice conditions—Rebecca Aldworth, The HSUS director of Canadian Wildlife Issues, called in from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to add her message to that of "Bones" star Emily Deschanel. Deschanel spoke out at event to save the seals with fellow actors Reggie Lee ("Prison Break" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End"), Darcy Halsey ("CSI," recent "Razor" and "Drifter"), Gina Philips ("CSI," recent "The Sick House") and Mirca Monroe ("Scrubs, recent " "Drive").
Deschanel said she was devoted to doing everything she could end the hunt forever: "I'm hoping that this year will be the last year of the seal hunt."
Lee said that a basic respect for life inspired him to rally support to end the hunt.
Aldworth, who was raised in Newfoundland, reported on the tragic death of hundreds of thousands of seal pups in the southern Gulf. Warmer than usual spring temperatures devastated most of the habitat for seals in the southern Gulf—an area now nearly devoid of seals. She said that the loss of so many baby seals in the southern Gulf had focused sealers on the very north of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the Strait of Belle Isle (map).
"We've moved up north," Aldworth said, "where there are reports of live seals pups. We've been looking for the seal pups that should have been there, but they weren't there." On March 30, Aldworth landed on the ice and found a few pups, but not, she said, the tens of thousands that should have been there. Sealers, when they start hunting April 2, will search out the survivors to slaughter them for their fur.
"The hunt for baby seals is about to begin in the next couple days, and I'm here to bring awareness to the inhumane practice," said Hasley.
When Philips learned the truth about Canada's commercial hunt, she said she was appalled. "I find it a tragedy, because it's not only cruel, it's unnecessary."
Sir Paul McCartney, who visited the Gulf seal nursery before the hunt in 2006, added his voice to the growing outrage over the hunt when he was honored at the Genesis Awards earlier this month. "Last year's trip to Canada to see the seal pups was shocking, when I realized those beautiful animals would soon be clubbed to death. Unfortunately, the practice still goes on, but I think with enough support, one of these days we will stop it."
Aldworth also appealed to the public for help, suggesting that individuals join the growing boycott of Canadian seafood products as a way to leverage economics to stop the hunt.
"We will be here to bear witness, and we hope that you will stand with us in our campaign to put a final end to the commercial seal hunt," Aldworth said in a parting message that McCartney, Deschanel, Congress, journalists, international politicians and others will amplify worldwide as they continue speaking out publicly against the seal hunt.
