An internal government memo recently came to light urging Canada’s agriculture minister, Gerry Ritz, not to join the United States and Europe in banning cat and dog fur imports. Government officials fear that such action could weaken Canada’s position against countries that have banned imports of seal fur products.

The news that cat and dog fur products can be readily purchased in this country likely comes as a shock to many Canadians. Most of us would be repulsed by the idea of wearing Tigger and Fido, even those of us who eat meat and wear leather.

Cat and dog fur is most often used as trim for garments and trinkets. Fur may be dyed, shaved, and otherwise altered so that it bears little resemblance to the animal from which it came. Such fur—if labelled at all—is often mislabeled, since exporting countries are well aware of our reluctance to wear clothing made from cats and dogs.

It is for these reasons that the U.S., Australia, Switzerland, and the European Union have all banned imports of cat and dog fur. It is for these very same reasons that the EU implemented a ban on seal fur products this past summer. Europeans don’t want to wear seal fur any more than Canadians want to wear cat or dog fur.

The difference is that in Europe, national values and public opinion actually play a role in shaping public policy. In Canada, regional special interests such as the sealing industry often trump national values and majority public opinion.

Countless public opinion polls show that the vast majority of Canadians oppose the commercial seal hunt and would like to see an end to this inhumane, antiquated, and economically unviable industry. But in attempt to win seats in Newfoundland our political parties trip over themselves to support the sealing industry. Only the Green party has a policy to end federal assistance to the seal hunt, and to provide sustainable economic alternatives and compensation to sealers for any lost income.

Canada’s Conservative government responded to the EU seal ban with retorts that Europeans were ignorant, emotional urbanites who were clearly misinformed and blinded by sentimentality. Presumably they think the same of the majority of Canadians who oppose commercial sealing.

Stockwell Day, Canada’s minister of international trade, has announced his intent to challenge the EU seal product ban at the World Trade Organization—yet another move that goes against Canadian public opinion. Trade experts estimate that such a challenge will cost Canadians at least $10 million, all for an industry that employs only a few thousand fishermen for a few days, and brought in little more than a million dollars this year.

Whether or not such a challenge is successful remains to be seen, as the EU has undoubtedly considered the WTO compatibility of their ban. But the revelation that Canada is using the WTO challenge as an excuse to ignore the Canadian consumers’ concerns about purchasing cat and dog fur is political opportunism at its worst.

It takes courage for politicians to do what is right for Canadians. Last month, Liberal MP Anita Neville introduced a private member’s bill that would ban the importation of cat and dog fur. Such legislation would undoubtedly be welcomed by most Canadians. But so long as the desire to win seats in Newfoundland—and the influence of the nearly $1-billion fur industry—holds more clout with political parties than voters in the rest of Canada, our government will continue to accept unlabelled fur into this country, including the skins of cats and dogs, and they will continue to waste our money on handouts to the sealing industry.

It will take a much louder voice from all Canadians, and more courageous members of Parliament, to break this stronghold. Opposition to the inhumane treatment of animals—be it cats, dogs, or seals—and not wanting to provide markets for their skins does not make us “ignorant” or “emotional”. Rather, it shows an informed, compassionate, and concerned citizenry. When our government is so far out of step with public opinion, perhaps it really is time for new leadership.

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For more information, please visit www.ifaw.org - and there are some special seal events coming up with Sheryl and Canadian Sen. Mac Harb - click here for the Facebook listing.

How disappointing it is to see more whining and complaining about NGOs from Fisheries Minister Gail Shea. If she’s not careful, her term will be up before she even begins to address the real issues behind Canada’s commercial seal hunt.

I invite Minister Shea to view the seal hunt footage taken in 2007/2008/2009 by sealing observers, myself included. This is the same footage shown to European parliamentarians. This footage is not outdated - as the minister alleges - nor does it contain images of whitecoat seals.

Europeans know perfectly well the seals killed in the current hunt are not whitecoats. They also know it is irrelevant. When we talk about the difference between a two-week-old whitecoat, and the same pup once it starts to moult a few days later, colour doesn’t matter does it?

This footage shows current and graphic examples of inhumane killing during Canada’s commercial seal hunt. Seal pups are shown hooked in the face and dragged across the ice, while clearly conscious and struggling. It shows seals shot, wounded and left to suffer for prolonged periods.

I challenge Minister Shea to face all Canadians and tell them that what she sees on those videos is “humane,” that it is “professional,” and she is still proud to “stand up” for the sealing industry.

I invite her to explain to all Canadians why her government continues to waste millions of taxpayers’ dollars annually - the WTO challenge alone will cost an estimated $10 million - to support an industry that brought in little more than a million dollars last year, provides only a few days work, and tarnishes other industries such as tourism and fisheries. Taxpayer dollars wasted on trying to keep the sealing industry alive would be better spent on finding economically viable alternatives to sealing.

Meanwhile, Minister Shea’s continued enthusiasm for criticizing animal welfare NGOs simply demonstrates that she has no good arguments to defend Canada’s commercial seal hunt.

Perhaps that’s because there aren’t any?

Sheryl Fink
Senior Research and Projects Specialist
International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)
Guelph, Ontario

Here is the text of the original article:

http://peicanada.com/west_prince_graphic/publication/shea_slams_anti_sealing_organizations

Finally! People are realizing that commercial sealing in Canada isn't about economic necessity. No, it is about regional politics, and special interest groups such as the Fur Industry that are wielding their power over the federal government when it comes to this issue. How else can we explain the Canadian government's insistence on supporting the seal hunt, when the majority of Canadians are opposed to it?

Unfortunately, Weston's article repeats the government myth that anti-sealing campaigns show whitecoat seals being killed: highly unlikely since any such photos would be at least 20 years old. The truth is that Europeans - and most Canadians - are equally repulsed by the inhumane killing of seal pups of any age, whether it be a 2 week old whitecoat, or a 3 week old "beater" with its silvery-spotted coat (the current seals targetted in Canada's commercial seal hunt).

But such myths have been flowing freely from Canadian officials this week, along with the charge that the European decision to ban seal products is based on misinformation. Such claims are so demonstrably false they are laughable. The ban on seal products announced in Europe this week was not a decision taken lightly - it is the culmination of three years of extensive evidence gathering and critical analysis. A thorough and extensive scientific opinion of the killing and skinning of seals in commercial seal hunts around the world, including Canada's, was produced, as well as a socio-economic evaluation of the impact of an EU ban.

Yes, European policy makers are undoubtedly better informed about the facts of seal hunting than are most Canadian politicians. In fact, Europe has taken a much more comprehensive look at commercial seal hunts than any political party or committee in Canada has done in the past 20 years.

Senator Mac Harb's recent attempts to have this issue debated in the Canadian Senate is a timely example. Not one single Senator has been enough to second the Harb Seal Bill so that the issue of commercial sealing can receive the benefit of a proper public debate. Are Canadian politicians afraid of the truth about the seal slaughter? How long do they think they can they hide behind their lies and rhetoric?

Fortunately, Europe has now stepped up and shown leadership where there Canadian government has failed. Markets for seal fur are dismal, and are not likely to be revived any time soon, even with continued subsidies. Like the tobacco industry, demand for seal fur is something that is unlikely to experience a huge resurgence in the near future, and for very good reason. To keep subsidizing sealers and promoting the sealing industry is economically irresponsible as well as unethical.

It seems obvious now that the only thing keeping the seal slaughter alive in Canada is the continuous infusion of government funds. Spending millions of dollars on a WTO challenge might prolong the inevitable death of this industry, but to what end? Not only will more seals suffer, but Canada - and Canadians - will continue to pay a heavy price – with our taxes, and with our reputation on the world stage.

If Canadian politicians really cared about sealers and their families, they would put their money where their mouth is and start transitioning people out of this archaic and unnecessary industry, sooner rather than later. That is the responsible thing to do, and such an action would be supported by the majority of Canadians.

As the Vancouver Olympics approach, all eyes will be on Canada. The EU ban on seal products now provides Canadian politicians a chance to make a graceful exit out of this mess and end the commercial seal hunt once and for all. It remains to be seen if they can set their egos aside, accept the reality that commercial sealing is inherently inhumane as well as unnecessary, and do the right thing - for Canadians, and for the seals.

Now reaching that goal is closer than ever.

The European Parliament voted 550 to 49 to ban the trade of seal products within the EU. This decisive measure truly reflects the will of Europe’s citizenry, and slams the door on the sale of seal products in Europe from this inhumane and unsustainable industry.

In achieving this ban, 7 of Canada’s 10 top export markets, representing 85% of total exports are officially closed for business.

In Canada, some sealers have started to close down shop as well, citing poor pelt prices and lack of buyers. On April 16th of this year, only six “longliner” sealing vessels left port to start the hunt in Newfoundland compared to more than 113 ships active only a few short years ago.

Jack Troake, one of Canada’s most outspoken proponents of the commercial hunt, opted to stay home. With pelt prices having dropped to as little as $15 each, this was clearly an easy and wise decision to make.

The implementation of this ban will have a permanent quantifiable impact on the remaining international trade in the fur of these helpless creatures.

IFAW believes it may be the beginning of the end to the Canadian commercial seal hunt. This landslide vote demonstrates an enormous resolve to institute this ban across Europe as quickly as possible.

However this victory is only for one battle, the war continues to be waged and we need your continued support to help us put an end to the cruelty once and for all…we must now shift our focus back to Canada to support the courage of Senator Mac Harb and his efforts to ban the practice in his own country.

IFAW is calling on everyone to help make a final push and tell the Canadian embassy officials in their countries to end commercial seal hunting forever.

The end is in sight, will you take 5 minutes to help the seals? Please visit www.stopthesealhunt.org right now.

An illustrative example is provided by Senator Céline Hervieux-Payette’s letter in the March 25 edition of Embassy in which she attempts to demonize organizations that hold views contrary to her own. When opponents use such tactics—as the Liberals and their former leader know only too well—the facts invariably take a beating.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare is, as our name indicates, an animal welfare organization and, to use the senator's word, it is manipulative to suggest otherwise. IFAW is not on a campaign to "force the world to become vegetarian." IFAW is on a campaign to end Canada's commercial seal slaughter.

While the senator may be comfortable using the well-documented and long-standing Canadian government strategy of "play[ing] the Nunavut Inuit card," the fact remains that Inuit are not involved in Canada's commercial seal hunt. And, contrary to her assertion, IFAW is not opposed to subsistence hunting by Inuit or other First Nations' people.

The senator is nonetheless correct in saying that hunting methods have been studied by independent veterinarians. But what she forgets to add is that the Canadian government has largely ignored their recommendations. Even in the case of the WWF-funded veterinary working group—a government favourite—only one of its 11 recommendations from 2005 has been implemented. DFO even admitted in December 2008 that Canada's Marine Mammal Regulations would not qualify for a derogation under the European Union's proposed trade ban in seal products. The minor "tweaks"—DFO's own characterization—to those regulations made earlier this year do not change that conclusion.

Of course, there is moral judgment involved in IFAW's opposition to Canada's commercial seal hunt, just as there are moral judgements expressed throughout the senator's diatribe. If she really thinks that she can refute "point by point" documented statements that Canada's commercial seal hunt is economically insignificant, subsidized by governments, poorly monitored and regulated, and that harp seals are threatened by climate change, then, please, let's have the evidence. Contrary to another of her accusations, IFAW actually does believe the truth is important and it's time that the senator, and others, stopped misrepresenting it.

The real "tree" hiding the forest here is Canadian politics. How else can you explain the ongoing spectacle of our major political parties desperately trying to outdo each other in their misguided enthusiasm for killing seals? But just beneath the surface of this international embarrassment lurks an inconvenient truth. Theirs is not a heroic campaign to defend Canada's commercial seal hunt or the "livelihood" of East coast sealers. It is a political competition for a few seats in Atlantic Canada.

And the only folks who really make a decent living supporting the seal hunt are politicians from Atlantic Canada. That's why East coast ministers, MPs and senators from all four political parties in Parliament are far more fanatical about killing seals than are most sealers themselves.

The time has come for our political parties to stop misrepresenting verifiable facts, stop misusing taxpayer dollars, and stop wreaking havoc on seals and the marine environment. The time has come for our MPs and senators to show some responsibility and leadership, and begin representing the majority of Canadians who oppose Canada's commercial seal slaughter. The time has come for investment in viable, full-time employment opportunities appropriate for the 21^st Century. That's what those still involved in Canada's commercial seal hunt really need and deserve.

David Lavigne is the International Fund for Animal Welfare's science adviser. This piece ran in the April 15, 2009 online version of Embassy Magazine.