Canadian Seal Hunters Travel to Meet Dutch Protesters
March 15, 2007
Hundreds of Dutch opponents of the hunt will stage a demonstration outside the Canadian Embassy against what they call the cruel and unnecessary slaughter of animals for pelts.
But they will also meet counter-protesters — a delegation of two Inuit Canadians and a Newfoundlander dressed in full seal-skin regalia — who have been sent by Canada to explain to the Dutch why Canada's seal hunt is not only humane, but also necessary for their employment.
The Dutch government is on the verge of outlawing the import of Canadian seal products, in particular skins. The move follows similar laws enacted by Belgium. Meanwhile, Germany and Italy are also musing about following suit. There is no such law in Britain, but the government recently said it would support a European-wide ban.
The Canadian delegation in The Hague will try to prevent that ban from happening. After confronting the protesters, the Canadians will head to the Dutch parliament to present a petition from Canadians arguing the law banning seal product imports should not go into force.
Thursday's International Day of Protest comes as Canadians ready themselves for the start of the seal hunting season on the East Coast. Similar rallies are also being held in Sydney, Australia, and in Ottawa.
While Norway, Greenland, Namibia and Russia also conduct commercial seal hunts, Canada's is the largest in the world, with about 6,000 Atlantic Canadians relying on it for their income.
The European Union is currently debating what action it will take on the import of seal skins from Canada. One possibility is an EU-wide ban that would prevent 27 countries from buying Canadian seal products.
