Care2 member? Log in

Tell Canada to Speak the Truth About the Seal Hunt

Target: Stephen Harper, Prime Minister
Sponsored by: International Fund for Animal Welfare

Over 300,000 baby seals will be clubbed or shot to death mercilessly during Canada's seal hunt this year; many will be skinned alive.

Canadian government officials insist that the seal hunt is a vital part of Canada's economy, yet in reality, the hunt accounts for less than one percent of NewfoundlandÂ’s GDP and an average of just $1,000 per sealer per year. Significant amounts of money are actually spent by Canada's government to promote the hunt and to develop new markets for seal products abroad.

When Danny Williams, Premier of Labrador and Newfoundland, was asked about the seal hunt during a recent episode of "Larry King Live" on CNN, he chose to make false statements about the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), claiming to speak on behalf of Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

WHAT HE SAID: "IFAW representatives, veterinarians and other experts have said the seal hunt is humane." FACT: There isnÂ’t a single reputable "expert" or "veterinary group" that has observed the seal hunt and called it humane.

WHAT HE SAID: "Veterinarians hired by the World Wildlife Fund said the seal hunt is conducted in a humane way." FACT: The report produced by these same veterinarians puts forward no fewer than eleven recommendations to make the seal hunt humane.

The public deserves a commitment to honesty and respect for the real facts about how baby seals are being killed during this hunt. Join IFAW and activists from around the world in urging CanadaÂ’s Prime Minister to tell the truth about whatÂ’s happening on the ice. Sign the petition now!

deadline: 5-14-2007
goal: 150,000

105,739
signatures!

Sign Petition! see who signed this

log in
This petition has been closed. see more petitions

Dear Prime Minister Harper,

Important issues surrounding Canada’s annual commercial seal hunt merit your urgent attention. They also deserve a commitment to honesty and respect for the facts not in evidence during the appearance of Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland & Labrador, on Larry King Live, Friday evening, March 3rd 2006. I urge you to do the right thing and correct several of the many inaccurate assertions Premier Williams, who claimed to be speaking on your behalf, made during that broadcast.

I must particularly take issue with the statements of Premier Williams concerning IFAW -- the International Fund for Animal Welfare (www.ifaw.org). Williams several times alleged IFAW representatives, veterinarians and other experts have said the seal hunt is humane. This is both false and ridiculous. Despite tireless efforts by your government and the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, there is not a single reputable "expert" or "veterinary group" that has observed the hunt and called it humane. Almost four decades of observing and documenting the commercial seal hunt have led IFAW experts to conclude it is an inherently cruel and abhorrent slaughter, one that gravely compromises not only the welfare of seals but also the safety and well being of the hunters.

Finally, it was suggested on this internationally broadcast CNN program that IFAW as an organization appears on FBI terrorist watch lists. Like most of the statements from Premier Williams that evening, this is utterly at odds with the facts. IFAW, and specifically IFAW’s efforts to end Canada’s seal hunt, are supported across the political spectrum in the United States. IFAW last year leveraged some $1.2 million dollars, including $600,000 in U.S. government funding, to assist New England fishermen with their animal welfare practices and provide them with state of the art fishing gear – I don’t think the US government funds organizations linked to terrorism.

The seal hunt issue is one that is extremely important to me. Continuing to ignore the inexcusable cruelty and waste inherent in this annual "hunt" by distributing misinformation is simply wrong. The people of Canada and Newfoundland deserve better.

I urge you to uphold your public responsibility and commitment to the truth by making an official apology to IFAW and telling the public the true facts about Canada’s commercial seal hunt and the decade’s worth of research which has consistently found it to be inhumane.

Sincerely,

We signed the “Tell Canada to Speak the Truth About the Seal Hunt” petition!

# 105,900:

1:22 pm PDT, Oct 12, Misti Manns, Illinois

# 105,899:

2:52 am PDT, Oct 12, Itty Sandrine, France
we should do the same with all the people who support barbaric practicises against animals all around the world.I think that doing such things is to lose our humanity.

# 105,898:

1:27 am PDT, Oct 12, Vici Doubek, Washington

# 105,897:

11:43 pm PDT, Oct 11, CourtneySan SAAAN, United Kingdom
I hate seal bashing, I think its totally sick.

# 105,896:

8:40 pm PDT, Oct 11, Chris Cantwell, Canada

# 105,895:

5:07 pm PDT, Oct 11, Pran Sathiy, Canada

# 105,894:

4:45 pm PDT, Oct 11, Sam Washburn, Connecticut
stop killing seals!

# 105,893:

4:26 pm PDT, Oct 11, Lucia Iñigo, Spain

# 105,892:

2:27 pm PDT, Oct 11, Amy Manley, Pennsylvania
This is the most disguesting thing i've ever heard of in my life. Cananda you should be ASHAMED of yourself. These men should walk with their heads down because no civil human being could do this to an animal. i had respect and i lost it!! this needs to stop, because we as people, never will !!!

# 105,891:

1:15 pm PDT, Oct 11, Katie Baird, Kentucky

# 105,890:

8:42 am PDT, Oct 11, Adam Rogers, Australia
Seal clubbing is absolutely barbaric and is against the rules of nature, what's to gain out of this but more profit from the greedy fat cats? It's pathetic and I'm ashamed such an esteemed country which resides under the commonwealth allows such a disgusting thing

# 105,889:

7:48 am PDT, Oct 11, Brecht Demeester, Belgium

# 105,888:

7:24 am PDT, Oct 11, Mitchka Estienny, France

# 105,887:

6:26 am PDT, Oct 11, Cecilia Repetti, Argentina

# 105,886:

1:33 am PDT, Oct 11, Paulina ³¹tka, Poland

# 105,885:

7:12 pm PDT, Oct 10, Joshua Bosin, Florida

# 105,884:

4:10 pm PDT, Oct 10, Dave Mason, United Kingdom
I can't believe this horrible blood bath is allowed to continue. The fact that income is being used to justify the barbaric act of bludgeoning seals is simply an outrage.

# 105,883:

3:34 pm PDT, Oct 10, Name not displayed, Georgia

# 105,882:

2:20 pm PDT, Oct 10, Name not displayed, Portugal
How can you let people kill such perfect and innocent animals?

# 105,881:

1:42 pm PDT, Oct 10, Name not displayed, Portugal
With all dear respect, seal hunting is not an option, it must be stopped. the sooner, the better

# 105,880:

1:37 pm PDT, Oct 10, Name not displayed, United Kingdom

# 105,879:

1:33 pm PDT, Oct 10, Name not displayed, United Kingdom
Its Horid You Must Stop It

# 105,878:

1:27 pm PDT, Oct 10, Name not displayed, United Kingdom
This is inhuman and the dehumanising discusting pitiful people who enjoy it are demeaning tthemselfs. THEY should be seals and see howq they like it.

# 105,877:

1:19 pm PDT, Oct 10, Kelly Ward, United Kingdom
it is sick and discusting!!!!! how could any one do that ure all sick !!!!!

# 105,874:

1:14 pm PDT, Oct 10, Name not displayed, United Kingdom

# 105,872:

1:13 pm PDT, Oct 10, Name not displayed, United Kingdom
Cruel and unecessary

# 105,871:

1:12 pm PDT, Oct 10, Jonathan Williams, United Kingdom
SICK B*STARDS

# 105,870:

1:12 pm PDT, Oct 10, Kenneth McGeachie, United Kingdom

# 105,869:

1:07 pm PDT, Oct 10, Douglas Grimshaw, United Kingdom
Sickly and un-needed.

# 105,868:

6:50 am PDT, Oct 10, Paulina ³¹tka, Poland
Help them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

# 105,867:

1:01 pm PDT, Oct 8, SAMSON YANNICK, France

# 105,866:

11:48 am PDT, Oct 8, Celine Heiligenstein, France
Il faudrait faire subir à ces monstres qui font souffrir ces pauvres bêtes la même chose qu'ils leur font subir. Stop à la cruauté animale!!

# 105,865:

12:24 am PDT, Oct 8, Amanda Blyler, Pennsylvania
JUST SAY NO TO ANIMAL CRUELTY!

# 105,864:

2:31 pm PDT, Oct 7, Jennifer Vo, Pennsylvania
What is the point of this again? Why kill these animals? Tell me why people who can't find money resort to killing animals?

# 105,863:

8:03 pm PDT, Oct 6, Nuno Coelho, Portugal
please... respect the animals!!! please...

# 105,862:

3:39 pm PDT, Oct 6, John Miller, Illinois

# 105,861:

12:52 pm PDT, Oct 6, Gonty Stéphanie, Belgium

# 105,860:

11:25 am PDT, Oct 6, Charles-antoine Duarte da rosa, France

# 105,859:

3:09 am PDT, Oct 6, Catarina Sousa, Portugal

# 105,858:

3:00 am PDT, Oct 6, Paula Sousa, Portugal

# 105,857:

11:16 am PDT, Oct 5, Natasa Papas, Greece
because i think he wouldnt like to be taken off his skin!stop it now!

# 105,856:

11:14 am PDT, Oct 5, Angeliki S, Greece

# 105,855:

11:07 am PDT, Oct 5, Concha Carvajal, Spain
The whole world deserves to know what is really happening. Why aren't these atrocities spoken in the open? What does Canada have to hide? Most Canadians are agains this brutal slaughter; it's the Government that has to explain. It's high time

# 105,854:

10:53 am PDT, Oct 5, Name not displayed, Luxembourg

# 105,853:

7:05 am PDT, Oct 5, Name not displayed, Greece

# 105,852:

5:25 am PDT, Oct 5, Name not displayed, Maine

# 105,851:

11:15 pm PDT, Oct 4, DOMINIQUE VILLAUME, France

View Signatures:
|<
<
106,097
106,050
106,000
105,950
105,900
105,850
105,800
...
150
100
50
>
>|

Tell Canada to Speak the Truth About the Seal Hunt

This petition has been closed.