MEXICO CITY – Centro Mexicano de Derecho Ambiental, A.C., (Mexican Center for Environmental Law, CEMDA), Conservación de Mamíferos Marinos A.C. (Marine Mammal Conservation, COMARINO) and Humane Society International (HSI), the international arm of The Humane Society of the United States, are urging the NAFTA Environmental Commission to investigate Canada's failure to effectively enforce its humane regulation of the annual seal hunt off the East Coast of Canada.

Each year, the government sanctioned slaughter off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador results in the often inhumane deaths of hundreds of thousands of baby seals. According to Canada's Marine Mammal Regulations, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is required to enforce certain humane regulations governing the treatment of seals during the hunt. This includes requirements that hunters make sure a seal is dead before moving on to club another one, and to not to begin to skin any seals while they are still alive.

In a submission filed last week, HSI, CEMDA and COMARINO presented evidence in the form of veterinary reports and video taken during recent seal hunts demonstrating that the humane provisions of the regulations are often ignored by hunters and not enforced by Fisheries officials in Canada. Based on this evidence, HSI, CEMDA and COMARINO requested that the Secretariat for the NAFTA Environmental Commission open a Factual Record in the case and investigate Canada's failure to enforce the humane provisions of its Marine Mammal Regulations.

Article 14 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) allows members of the public, including non-governmental organizations, to make submissions to the NAAEC Secretariat claiming that a NAFTA member country is failing to effectively enforce an environmental law. If the Secretariat determines that specific criteria have been adequately addressed, the submission is forwarded to the government named in the submission for a response. Once the Secretariat has all requested information from both the public submitter and the named government, it determines, based upon the evidence, whether to recommend to the NAAEC Council to undertake an investigation of the matter. The Council, which is made up of one representative from each of the three NAFTA countries, must then decide by a 2/3 vote to allow a full investigation ultimately resulting in the creation of a report called a Factual Record that is made available to the public.

"It is very important for the NAFTA Environmental Commission to understand its role in the protection of wildlife in North America, which is why we chose to make this submission," said Marta Prado, HSI special counsel for international trade policy. Prado added that a decision not to move forward with the creation of a Factual Record would likely result in "public outrage at the failure of NAFTA to hold countries accountable after the parties had agreed to better conserve, protect, and enhance the environment, including wildlife."

A decision on whether to open a Factual Record is expected before the end of the year.

For video footage of the seal hunt go to video.hsus.org.

-30-

CEMDA is a Mexican non-governmental organization focused on coordinating national and international efforts on behalf of the environment and natural resources, through strengthening, consolidation, reconciliation, application and effective enforcement of the current environmental legal system.

COMARINO is a Mexican non-governmental organization dedicated to the conservation of marine wildlife in Mexico and other countries.

Humane Society International is the international arm of The Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal protection organization – backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- On the web at humanesociety.org .