New York, New York —In February and March of 1969, Friends of Animals placed advertisements in dozens of newspapers pressing the public to protest Canada’s seal slaughter. These advertisements set off a chain of publicity. Brian Davies’s film of the massacre was televised, causing an international outcry when viewers saw the gruesome scenes of baby seals hacked to death in front of their helpless mothers. Life covered the story and headlined its photographs, “A bloody business in Canada causes an uproar all over.”
This Bloody Business is Still Going On.
In February 2003, the Canadian government announced its intention to allow its next three consecutive spring hunts (2003-2005) to result in the killing of 975,000 seals between 12 days and 12 weeks old – adding up to the largest yearly killing permission Canada has imposed upon young seals over the last 30 years. Canadian seal hunters expect to kill 350,000 harp and hooded seal pups this second spring season, beginning this month. Justifications rest on blaming seals for wiping out Atlantic codfish and putting anglers out of work.
Priscilla Feral, president of Friends of Animals, states:”Regardless of the numbers targeted, the seal kill cannot be morally justified. Seals are not resources or commodities to be traded for the convenience of profit; they’re entitled to be left alone. FoA deplores the seal hunt for the suffering and death it imposes on every single seal.”
What Has the Canadian Response Been?
First we must note that the Canadian Government has the ability to revoke the “charitable status” (which allows tax-exempt donations) of groups. The Government’s reasoning is that certain groups are trying to “advocate on behalf of a group or to advocate to change people’s opinions” and that under the charitable status rules, this is not permissible for a charity. Unless and until such rules are successfully challenged as applied to animal advocacy in Canada, we in the U.S. can exert pressure to stop the killing through a boycott.
The United States Will Respond
On March 15, 2004, people will gather from noon-1:30pm at the Canadian Consulate General, 1251 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020-1175, USA, to protest the spring seal killing in Canada and to launch a boycott of all Molson Corp. products in the United States (Molson Light, Lager, Ice, Golden, Export, Excell and XXX) to put economic pressure on one of Canada’s leading beer producers.
On March 22, 2004, people will gather at Prada, 575 Broadway (at Prince St) New York, NY 10020-1175, USA, from noon-1: 30 pm to ask the public to reject the products of Prada (a leading clothing designer using seal fur). The New York Times recently stated that “…no designer exerts more influence on the rest of fashion than Ms. Prada.”
Friends of Animals will ask members of the public to maintain the Canadian product boycott until June 1, 2004, the end of this year’s seal-clubbing season.
In addition, please voice your protest to:
Pamela Wallin,
Consulate General of Canada Consulate General of Canada
1251 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020-1175, USA
Telephone: 212-596-1628
Fax: 212-596-1793