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International protesters target seal hunt

By ALLISON DUNFIELD

Tuesday, March 15, 2005 Updated at 2:21 PM EST

Globe and Mail Update

International opponents of Canada's seal hunt are gathering across the
country Tuesday to protest what they say is an arcane and inhumane slaughter
of the animals.

Protests by the Humane Society of the United States and Greenpeace along
with other environmental and animal rights groups are taking place in
Halifax, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver, along with more than 40 other cities
across North America. The groups are gathering in front of Canadian
embassies and consulates to "protest the cruel and needless slaughter of
harp and hooded seals in Canada."

And the groups say global resistance to the seal hunt is on the increase as
more people are informed of the suffering they say the animals experience.

"The fact is that opposition to Canada's brutal seal hunt is growing," said
Pat Ragan, the Humane Society of the United States'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 society says Ottawa is hiding the number of animals who die each year.

They claim East Coast fishermen will kill 300,000 harp seals between late
March and the close of the hunt on May 15. They call Canada's seal hunt the
largest commercial slaughter of marine mammals in the world.

"Canada's commercial seal hunt is the largest and cruellest slaughter of
marine mammals on earth," said Wayne Pacelle, president and chief executive
officer of the Humane Society of the United States, in a statement.

But Brian Underhill, a spokesman for Fisheries Minister Geoff Regan, says
Canada's seal population is in good shape.

"I believe there is in excess of five million seals in the herd right now,"
Mr. Underhill told globeandmail.com. "And that does provide an income for
numerous families in areas where there's not too much in terms of economic
activity."

Mr. Underhill said that number has tripled since the 1970s.

Mr. Regan, whose constituency office in Halifax was targeted by about 30
people Tuesday, won't be making an official comment, Mr. Underhill said. The
protesters took a banner and letters to his office, local radio station VOCM
reported.

However, the doors were locked.
Protest organizer Barry Crozier said he was surprised the Minister's
constituency office was closed on a weekday.

Mr. Crozier says he believes that following numerous phone calls and
e-mails, Mr. Regan's officials deliberately ducked contact with the group.



Mr. Underhill said Mr. Regan disagrees with the protesters.

"He believes that the seal hunt is healthy [for the economy]," Mr. Underhill
said.

Mr. Underhill also said that while protesters say that the hunt is inhumane
because of their claim that some animals are skinned while still alive,
according to a recent report published by the Canadian Veterinary Journal,
virtually all seals are taken in a humane manner.

This year's protest has attracted some attention from some high-profile
activists.

On Monday, retired French actress Brigitte Bardot said she was angry at both
Prime Minister Paul Martin and Mr. Regan for not doing enough to stop the
hunt. "You are jerks!" she was quoted as saying in an interview with Sun
Media. "I wrote for years to all Canadian prime ministers, but it hasn't
done anything to stop it. Nothing!"

Ms. Bardot is unable to make the trip to the protests because of her health.

She has attended other seal protests in Canada in the past.

Mr. Underhill said Mr. Regan has no comment on Ms. Bardot's words, but noted
that everyone is entitled to their opinion and agreed that issues like the
seal hunt bring out strong opinions on both sides.

Marc Roy, a spokesman from the Prime Minister's Office, said Mr. Martin has
no comment on Ms. Bardot's remarks.

With a report from Canadian Press