By Trashy / Earth First! Newswire
Guy Saint-Jacques, Canada’s ambassador to China, was called to task on Tuesday by an international group of animal welfare advocates. The meeting of Chinese experts, NGOs, and individuals was meant to open a dialog between Canada and the rest of the world, which views its seal hunt as outrageous and cruel. The Canadian ambassador had other plans.
Canada’s horrible seal products industry is the source of international condemnation, as around 400,000 baby seals are clubbed each year. The instrument of slaughter is typically the hakapik, a long, thick club with sharp spikes at the end. The baby seals suffer terribly, and are often skinned alive.
30 countries around the world have condemned Canada’s seal slaughter and banned seal products. More than 100 organizations have joined in protesting the seal slaughter. Yet Canada insists that it’s their loss, because who could live without spiffy seal-skin waistcoats?
Canadian health officials also insist, surprise surprise, that seal products enhance the male sexual prowess. as Tao Bei with Blive Global Initiative points out, however, ”The fact is, some seal products exported from Canada to China were found to contain excessive mercury.”
At the meeting, Saint-Jacques stated, “The government of Canada takes very seriously its role as a steward of wildlife and the environment. The seal harvest regulations incorporate animal welfare principles that are internationally recognized by virtually all independent observers.”
Without making mention of the export of seal products, Saint-Jacques tried to smooth things over, saying that the traditional seal hunt provides nourishment for people in remote Arctic environments and in times of food scarcity.
So the world should thank Canada for butchering 400,000 baby seals, because although most of them end up in Norwegian supermarkets, somewhere somebody may or may not be nourishing themselves in a traditional way. And traditional ways of First Nations are what Canada’s all about, just ask TransCanada!