This year fishermen on the East Coast of Canada will kill some 300,000 harp seals between late March and the official closing day of the seal hunt, May 15, 2005. But the killing, the largest commercial slaughter of marine mammals in the world, will not come without considerable protest.
As part of a massive, coordinated global response, thousands of citizens in nearly 50 cities—from Boston to Barcelona—will gather on or around Tuesday, March 15, 2005, to let the Canadian government know that this annual slaughter of seals will not stand. Many of the rallies will take place in front of the country's Canadian Embassy or consulate, much like the rallies that have taken place at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
"The fact is that opposition to Canada's brutal seal hunt is growing," said Pat Ragan, The HSUS's seal campaign manager. "As the ugly truth about this slaughter spreads from person to person around the globe, it becomes harder for the Canadian government to hide behind the myths that the killing of hundreds of thousands of seals each year is justified, sustainable, or humane. The government of Canada is getting nervous. It doesn't want the public to know how many seals die needlessly on the ice each year, most of them from 12 days to 12 weeks old, and an appalling number of whom are skinned while still alive and able to experience pain. Exposing the cruelty of the hunt is key to ending it."
That's why, just weeks before the killing begins on the ice off Newfoundland and Labrador, a network of organizations and individuals will take to the streets around the world to tell the truth about the hunt. Activists in cities in North and South America, Europe, Scandinavia, and the Middle East will gather at their Canadian embassy or consulate to tell the world about the atrocities of Canada's seal hunt and to tell the Canadian government that the hunt must be stopped.
You can take part of the worldwide protest, too. If possible, please attend a demonstration at the Canadian embassy or a consulate near you. If you live in North America, check our rally list for cities near you. Citizens in other parts of the world can check this list for a rally near them.
For more information or to find out if there's a Canadian consulate in your area, contact us at protect-seals@hsus.org or call 301-258-3109.
