Animal 0 Posté(e) le 13 avril 2006 MP joins sealers as hunt opens at Front Last updated Apr 12 2006 02:09 PM NDT CBC News The seal hunt off the northeast coast of Newfoundland started Wednesday, with a member of Parliament among those taking to the ice. FROM CBC ARCHIVES: Pelts, Pups and Protest: The Atlantic Seal Hunt Todd Russell, the Liberal MP for Labrador riding, travelled to the hunt in a small boat from Mary's Harbour, a community in southern Labrador. Labrador MP Todd Russell intends to bring seal meat back to Ottawa to serve to fellow parliamentarians. (CBC) "It's just something that's right to do," said Russell, who has an aboriginal sealing licence through his membership in the Labrador Métis Nation. "I couldn't find a better way to support the people that I represent than to be out there with them in some concrete way, in some way that they could understand," Russell said before the hunt began. Russell, who hunted seals with his father years ago, said he intends to bring back several meals of seal meat back to Ottawa. INDEPTH: Seal hunt Federal authorities were expecting much of the quota for this phase of the hunt to be taken in a single day. However, some sealers were reporting slow progress in the early hours of the hunt, said Larry Yetman, a resource manager with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in St. John's. More than 232,000 harp seals can be hunted under the 2006 quota for the Front hunt. (CBC) "They're not seeing the concentration that they would normally see," said Yetman, adding it?s likely seals had already pupped in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. DFO allocated 232,656 harp seals in the hunt on the Front, the traditional name given to ice off Newfoundland's northeast coast. The Front hunt constitutes the largest part of the controversial hunt for harp seals in Eastern Canada, which continues to draw national and international protest – and media attention – from animal welfare groups and celebrities who support their cause. The smaller hunt in the Gulf of St. Lawrence already concluded. The Front hunt opened early Wednesday morning. It is scheduled to close at 7:30 p.m. NDT, when fisheries officials will gather data on how many seals were killed. A decision will then be made about whether to reopen it on the following day. The overall quota in 2006 is 325,000 animals. Seal hunt's opponents vow to continue pressure Anti-sealing groups said they would be keeping an eye on the hunt, which they describe as a blemish on Canada's reputation. The International Fund for Animal Welfare said it will be monitoring the hunt by helicopter. Rebecca Aldworth, the Canadian issues director of the Humane Society of the United States, said her organization also plans to observe the hunt at the Front. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which has launched a boycott of Costco Wholesale over the retail giant's decision to restock shelves with seal oil capsules, will not be present at the Front. Demand for pelts remains strong The 2006 seal hunt attracted more international publicity than usual, particularly after pop superstar Paul McCartney joined the Humane Society of the United States in condemning the hunt. FROM MARCH 4, 2006: McCartney used by groups, Williams says French acting legend Brigitte Bardot, Canadian actress Pamela Anderson and British rock singer Morrissey followed suit. Despite the protests, markets for seal products – especially the pelts – remain strong. Sealers have recently been earning more than $70 per pelt. The strongest markets for the pelts are in northern Europe, particularly in Norway. http://www.cbc.ca/nl/story/nf-hunt-front-20060412.html Partager ce message Lien à poster Partager sur d’autres sites
