Canada’s Senator Mac Harb recently tabled a bill to end Canada’s commercial seal hunt, a dying industry based on the demand for fur for luxury items. Making history by introducing legislation in the Senate to amend The Fisheries Act (while respecting treating obligations and protecting the rights of Canada’s aboriginal people), he says it’s time to transition Canadian sealers into sustainable industries befitting a modern country in the 21st century. There aren’t many of us who would disagree with him, especially when presented with images of innocent baby seals being clubbed to death and the pristine snow they lay huddled on stained a bloody red. I don’t think many Canadians realize that their tax dollars are being spent to support the commercial seal hunt. According to Senator Harb, we help pay for the icebreakers that provide access to seal herds and the rescue support when sealers run into difficulty. Tax dollars also go to developing and marketing seal products and sending delegations abroad to defend the hunt and to lobby foreign governments.

Let’s take a stand to help support Senator Mac Harb’s Bill and end commercial seal hunting in Canada. Show your support by emailing him at harbsealbill@sen.parl.gc.ca

For those living in or near Vancouver, BC, you may be interested to know that Senator Harb will be in Vancouver to tell us what motivated him to take this critical step and what Canadians can do to help end this slaughter. He will also be available after the event to answer questions. Please come out to show your support.

The other speakers will be: Sheryl Fink (IFAW Senior Researcher) and Ericka Ceballos (CATCA Founder and President/Director of the Western Canada Anti Sealing Coalition).

The event will be at:
The Vancouver Art Gallery
750 Hornby Street, Vancouver
Heritage Court Room (Second Floor)

This event will be from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
The doors will open at 5:30 PM

This event is jointly hosted by IFAW and CATCA

Also, for more information on commercial sealing check out Carreen Maloney’s Rescue Blog here

Photo courtesy of Nigel Barker.