By Rebecca Aldworth
On Thursday, I was privileged to stand on the spectacular ice floes in the Gulf of St. Lawrence with two of the most dedicated and visible animal protectionists in the world—Heather and Paul McCartney. They came to the seal nursery to draw world attention to the cruel and needless seal slaughter that will take place just weeks from today.
For the past seven years, I have gone to the ice floes to document the commercial seal hunt at close range—observing horrific acts of cruelty. But today was a different kind of visit. It was a celebration of what is, to me and to the hundreds of tourists who visit the ice floes each year, the greatest wildlife spectacle on earth.
Here on these ice floes, just days before the hunt begins, harp seal mothers nurse their babies in an icy landscape so breathtaking it simply cannot be adequately captured in photos.
As Heather and Paul emerged from their helicopter, they were visibly struck by the awesome beauty of the ice floes and the newborn pups nursing from their mothers. They eagerly walked over to the closest seal pups and began to talk softly to them. As the sun shone across the ice, I felt as though I had come to the best place on earth.
Every year, the visitors that come to the ice tell me it has changed their lives.
Heather and Paul's visit may be life-changing in a different, more far-reaching way. The truth is that their trip to the ice may be the best hope right now for the hundreds of thousands of baby seals sentenced to a cruel death by the Canadian government.
Heather and Paul McCartney were well aware of the significance of their visit, which was intensely covered by the world's media. They were well-prepared for the international attention. I was impressed by how thoroughly they had researched the issue, how knowledgeable they are about the hunt—and how committed they are to ending it.
It was touching to watch as Heather and Paul interacted with the newborn baby seals. I could hear the pups' soft calls sounding across the ice floes as the McCartneys gently knelt next to one tiny, three-day-old seal. And I could see how much they were affected. Looking across the vast ice floes at the pristine harp seal nursery, Paul said to those around him, "This is one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on Earth…It's very rare that you can come to a beautiful, wild place like this."
As we prepared to leave, I paused at the helicopter and glanced back over the ice floes. A few feet away, a mother seal raised her head from a hole in the ice and looked right at me. I suddenly realized I was crying. Looking into her thoughtful black eyes, I could only silently apologize over and over again for not having been able to stop the hunt yet.
Heather and Paul McCartney clearly shared those feelings. As we flew away, Heather remarked how hard it was for her to spend time with these helpless baby seals, knowing in just a few weeks time they would be slaughtered. Heather and Paul came to the ice floes to speak out against the commercial seal hunt, and it is clear they left with an absolute determination to end it.
I have campaigned for ten years to halt the commercial seal hunt. In that time, I have tried almost every method to convince the Canadian government to stop the slaughter. I believe that the McCartneys' presence on the ice floes signals the beginning of the end of this cruel industry. With Greenland, Italy, and Mexico joining the growing list of nations deciding to end their trade in Canadian seal skins, it is clear to me that the end is truly in sight. I know that the overwhelming majority of Canadians want this to end.
As Paul said Thursday on the ice floes, "Canada is known as a great nation....But this is something that leaves a stain on the character of the Canadian people and we don't think that's right. I don't think the vast amount of Canadians think that's right."
Rebecca Aldworth is director of Canadian Wildlife Issues for The HSUS.
