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| Sen. Levin condemns Canada's seal hunt. |
Condemning the annual Canadian commercial seal hunt as indefensible, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., introduced a resolution March 21 urging the government of Canada to put a stop to it.
"The clubbing of baby seals cannot be defended or justified," Levin said upon introducing the resolution. "I am joined by Senator Collins and Senator Biden in submitting a resolution that urges the Government of Canada to end this senseless and inhumane slaughter."
Levin has been long been at the forefront of the fight to protect seals from Canada's commercial hunt.
"We are very grateful for Senator Levin's unwavering support for these gentle creatures, and we call on the rest of the Senate to join with him in condemning Canada's commercial seal hunt," said John Grandy, HSUS senior vice president for wildlife and habitat protection.
S.RES.118 notes that the seal hunt, which will start in earnest within the next week, has claimed the lives of more than one million seals in the past three years. In the last five years, 95 percent of the seals killed were pups between 12 days and 12 weeks old, many of them too young to have eaten their first solid meal or taken their first swim. The seals are killed by commercial fishermen looking to earn extra cash from the fur industry.
Levin's resolution will be referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations, chaired by Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., and ranking minority member Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind.
This year, more than any other, the beginning of the hunt has been accompanied by international criticism. Worldwide opposition to the hunt is gaining momentum:
- U.S. law already forbids the import of seal products from Canada.
- Belgium recently became the first European nation to officially ban seal products.
- Germany, Italy Croatia, Luxembourg and the Netherlands have bans under consideration.
- The European Parliament has called for an EU ban on harp and hooded seal products.
