Canadian Tourism Boycott

Canadian Tourism Boycott

By boycotting tourism to Canada, especially to Newfoundland and the Magdalen Islands of Quebec, seal hunt opponents can pressure sealers and their supporters to change their stance on the seal hunt.

Some organizations are fighting to end the seal hunt by encouraging a boycott of all tourism to Canada. Harpseals.org supports these efforts but wishes to focus on tourism to the sealing provinces and regions. These are the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, from which most sealers hail, and the Magdalen Islands of Quebec. Prince Edward Island is home to a few sealers, too. In Nova Scotia, a smaller seal hunt takes place, the grey seal hunt, perpetrated by Nova Scotia fishermen/sealers.

We encourage those who oppose the seal hunt to let the Canadian government, Canadian tourist agencies, and operators of tourist establishments in Canada know that you are boycotting Canadian tourism until the seal hunt is banned permanently.

 

What About Harp Seal Tours?

Because there are few things more captivating than baby harp seals living in their natural environment, there are several companies that take people to the Canadian ice floes to observe these animals. These seal watch tours take people over the majestic ice fields of Canada by helicopter. They land on sturdy ice floes and are able to walk right up to the seal pups.

At this time, Harpseals.org encourages tourists to participate in the Canadian tourism boycott and boycott all seal tours. When the seal hunt is banned, we will encourage tourism to the (former) sealing provinces to replace the sealing revenue.

However, those who are considering participating in a seal tour should also know that some seal tour companies are merely fronts for the sealers and sealing communities themselves. They capitalize on the beauty and charm of the harp seal pups in February and early March and then kill these seals in late March and early April.

Seal tours that are based in the Magdalen Islands of Quebec directly support a small community of sealers. Some even hire helicopter pilots who also work for sealers in spotting seals to kill. Natural Habitat Adventures was the original tour operation traveling to the seals. Travel Wild Expeditions was founded by Magdalen Islands residents who saw that seal tours were profitable and decided to set up a competing tour group. Although Natural Habitat Adventures is not a Magdalen Islands-based company, both companies base their tours out of the Magdalen Islands and therefore support sealers.

  Send Emails to Canada Tourism Comission:

tourisminfo@goc.nl.ca

 Please sign the Petition and share it with your Friends.

Thank you!