Seal Hunt Puts Canada on the Dock, Belgium Imposes Trade Ban

Global opposition to import of seal trade from Canada is increasingly growing and becoming stronger each day. Taking a step further, Belgium has banned any import of seal from Canada for the cruel and savage means by which the mammal is killed. On the other hand, Canada asserts seal hunt is the sustenance of its eastern provinces and must be let to flourish.

What called for such an uproar were the scary images of the brutal slaughter. Canada is home to world’s largest slaughter of the mammal anywhere on the globe. After Belgium imposed a ban on the import of the same for the cruel slaughter of seal, Canada has decided to challenge the decision tooth and nail.

Seals help in keeping the polar marine environment clean by emitting low-level energy that destroys pollution bacteria in snow-clad seas. In Canadian Arctic coasts, seals are found in great numbers. But, their oily flesh and blubber is in great demand especially for the Inuits, Eskimos and Aboriginals. Their flesh costs hefty sum for many Canadian small industries in the international market.



Canada hunts seals in a very cruel and savage manner. The most disheartening fact is that over 95 per cent of the seals slaughtered are only a few days old. If you were to witness such a merciless slaughter in which baby seals are shot at or clubbed with a harpoon and left to bleed, you would certainly experience heart break and become a vociferous activist to oppose Canada seal hunt.

Quite surprisingly, the Canadian government subsidizes the seal hunt and the result is nearly a million baby seals have been clubbed and slaughtered in the last three years, let alone the big seals. It is really shameful that the Canadian trade minister is threatening to request WTO to pressurize Belgium to lift the ban. I think the Canadian political leaders have lost their sense and human feeling by supporting the merciless killing of innocent mammals for a few dollars.

No doubt, seal hunt is important to sustain the living of many in eastern Canada. But, to earn money by seal hunt looks primitive in a modern age where industries are burgeoning and opportunities are growing in Canada. Just for the sake of economy, we cannot destroy the seal population and put them in the endangered list. Trade ban by Belgium should be taken with due concern by the comity of nations. I appeal all the green activists and the animal lovers to give utmost attention to how to force Canada to stop its state-sponsored seal hunt.

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Via: Reuters

Tags: trade ban, Belgium, seal hunt, Canada
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