MEPs Caroline Lucas and John Bowis speak out about seal hunt
Friday 28 March 2008
Caroline Lucas, Green Party MEP for South East England, told Humane Society International (UK):
"Today (Friday 28th March) marks the start of the annual Canadian seal hunt, and 25 years since the EU first adopted legislation to ban the import of products from the very youngest harp and hooded seals.
“Despite the existing ban, seal imports continue to enter the EU: 275,000 seal pups are due to be slaughtered over the coming weeks in Canada, and thousands more will be killed later this year in Russia and Namibia.
“Despite the efforts of MEPs and the public, the Commission has FAILED TO ACT. I will, therefore, continue to press Commissioner Dimas to bring forward a proposal to ban the trade in seal products at the earliest opportunity, and to ensure that the draft legislation is prioritised for swift adoption by the European Parliament and Council, before the start of next year's Canadian seal hunt."
Whilst John Bowis MEP said in a statement:
"Canada’s commercial seal hunt is cruel, unnecessary and unsustainable.
"It’s the largest marine mammal hunt in the world with nearly a million and a half seals killed in the past four years, nearly all were pups between two weeks and three months of age.
"This slaughter is to provide luxury fur items for fashion markets in Europe and elsewhere.
"The Canadian government freely admits it is a commercial hunt and has nothing to do with culling or fish stocks.
"The scale of the hunt is now bigger than any time in the last 50 years and there is increasing concern that global warming is affecting the ice floes on which the seals depend to give birth and nurse their pups.
"To continue hunting at such levels in the face of environmental uncertainty is unacceptable. This is why I support a total EU wide ban on products from the commercial Canadian seal hunt and have also been a signatory to the European Parliament Written Declaration for a seal products ban in 2006."