Banned!

[Unforgiven]

in the eu that is.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BRUSSELS – European Union countries ignored Ottawa's protests and gave their final approval Monday to a ban on imports of seal products in an effort to force Canada to end its annual seal hunt.

A majority of the EU's 27 member states see the way Canada conducts its hunt, the world's largest, as inhumane.

The ban was approved without debate at a meeting of EU foreign ministers, although Denmark and Romania abstained from backing the measure, which Ottawa is protesting as an unfair trade restriction. Austria also abstained because it wanted an even stricter ban.

The EU ban will exempt products derived from traditional hunts carried out by Inuit in Canada's Arctic, as well as those from Greenland, Alaska and Russia. They can export products to the EU but only "on a not-for-profit basis."

The International Fund for Animal Welfare applauded the EU decision as a "significant victory" in IFAW's 40-year campaign to end Canada's commercial seal hunt.

"There is a wonderful sense of accomplishment today after years of hard work," said Lesley O'Donnell, director of IFAW EU.

The EU gave its final approval just a day after the federal government made a last-ditch effort to persuade European politicians to vote against the ban.
Trade Minister Stockwell Day and Fisheries Minister Gail Shea urged the European parliamentarians Sunday to think twice about supporting the ban.

"The government of Canada is gravely concerned that the European Union is continuing to push for a ban on seal products without any consideration of an exemption for Canada's humane and sustainable seal hunt," they said in a statement.

Day and Shea also threatened trade action against the EU if it goes ahead with the ban.

"Should the EU choose to adopt a seal products trade ban that does not contain an acceptable derogation for humanely harvested seal products, Canada will defend its rights and interests under the relevant World Trade Organization agreements," they said.

Seems to me that a small part of Canada is yelling that the rest of the world is crazy not it.

 

[ironsides]

in the eu that is.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BRUSSELS – European Union countries ignored Ottawa's protests and gave their final approval Monday to a ban on imports of seal products in an effort to force Canada to end its annual seal hunt.

A majority of the EU's 27 member states see the way Canada conducts its hunt, the world's largest, as inhumane.

The ban was approved without debate at a meeting of EU foreign ministers, although Denmark and Romania abstained from backing the measure, which Ottawa is protesting as an unfair trade restriction. Austria also abstained because it wanted an even stricter ban.

The EU ban will exempt products derived from traditional hunts carried out by Inuit in Canada's Arctic, as well as those from Greenland, Alaska and Russia. They can export products to the EU but only "on a not-for-profit basis."

The International Fund for Animal Welfare applauded the EU decision as a "significant victory" in IFAW's 40-year campaign to end Canada's commercial seal hunt.

"There is a wonderful sense of accomplishment today after years of hard work," said Lesley O'Donnell, director of IFAW EU.

The EU gave its final approval just a day after the federal government made a last-ditch effort to persuade European politicians to vote against the ban.
Trade Minister Stockwell Day and Fisheries Minister Gail Shea urged the European parliamentarians Sunday to think twice about supporting the ban.

"The government of Canada is gravely concerned that the European Union is continuing to push for a ban on seal products without any consideration of an exemption for Canada's humane and sustainable seal hunt," they said in a statement.

Day and Shea also threatened trade action against the EU if it goes ahead with the ban.

"Should the EU choose to adopt a seal products trade ban that does not contain an acceptable derogation for humanely harvested seal products, Canada will defend its rights and interests under the relevant World Trade Organization agreements," they said.

Seems to me that a small part of Canada is yelling that the rest of the world is crazy not it.

I cannot see where anything involving killing baby seals could be construed as humane.


"Seems to me that a small part of Canada is yelling that the rest of the world is crazy not it."

Yup, everybody else is crazy except them. :roll:

 

[JLM]

Yep, a lot of times there are kneejerk reactions by bureaucrats before they check all the facts.

 

[#juan]

The seal hunt has been going on for over three hundred and fifty years. The seal hunt provides part of the annual income for people who will be hurt by this ban, not to mention the ecological shock of adding several hundred thousand more seals annually to the cod fishery problems that are already in serious trouble. Banning all seal products will create more problems than it will solve.

 

[DurkaDurka]

I'm far too distant from the seal hunts to give a crap one way or another. Part of the problem with the whole seal hunt though is PR. Clubbing seals to death with barbaric looking hooks and having it broadcast to the world makes them look like savages.

 

[JLM]

The seal hunt has been going on for over three hundred and fifty years. The seal hunt provides part of the annual income for people who will be hurt by this ban, not to mention the ecological shock of adding several hundred thousand more seals annually to the cod fishery problems that are already in serious trouble. Banning all seal products will create more problems than it will solve.

You got that right #Juan, that's what happens when people respond to emotions instead of sound reasoning based on facts. I guess seals are cuter than cows and pigs.

 

[taxslave]

I cannot see where anything involving killing baby seals could be construed as humane.


"Seems to me that a small part of Canada is yelling that the rest of the world is crazy not it."

Yup, everybody else is crazy except them. :roll:

Yes this is a problem, especially since they do not hunt baby seals in Canada. As far as I know seals are still hunted by EU members so this is just a trade issue and should be treated as such. Ban the import of all cars and aircraft made in Europe would be a good start.

 

[lone wolf]

Why do they target traditional hunts yet ignore fish ponds and game preserves?

 

[DurkaDurka]

Ban the import of all cars and aircraft made in Europe would be a good start.

Over an issue that effects a minuscule number of Canadians? Most Canadians outside of Newfoundland really don't care about the seal hunt, one way or the other.

 

[JLM]

Why do they target traditional hunts yet ignore fish ponds and game preserves?

How often do protesters use common sense?

 

[Ron in Regina]

I cannot see where anything involving killing baby seals could be construed as humane.


"Seems to me that a small part of Canada is yelling that the rest of the world is crazy not it."

Yup, everybody else is crazy except them. :roll:

Lots of misinformation floating around this issue. Who said anything about "baby" Seals?

I, too, have seen the video's....dated from when? Makes one wonder why, if this hunt has
been going on for 350 years or so....that video of Seal pups from the '70's is always used
in the anti-Sealing campaigns, eh?

 

[EagleSmack]

Why do they target traditional hunts yet ignore fish ponds and game preserves?

Because baby seals look cute and perhaps because they are clubbed.

I personally think the ban is foolish and there is no difference than a seal hunt and dragging the Georges Bank on a trawler.

If people want to hunt...let them. Just not over hunt and it does not look like they do.

 

[taxslave]

Over an issue that effects a minuscule number of Canadians? Most Canadians outside of Newfoundland really don't care about the seal hunt, one way or the other.

Strictly on principal. Most Canadians don't buy European cars either so could care less if they are banned. And other than Air Canada and DND few Canadians are going to buy an airplane anytime soon.

 

[AnnaG]

Perhaps Canada should reply in kind and quit having any relationships with Denmark. They slaughter harbor porpoises by the hundreds every year.

and 2000 pilot whales every year.

 

[AnnaG]

Iceland, Japan, and a few others all do much the same thing. I am not against killing animals for food, but we don't need them for clothing, perfume, etc. And to slaughter them en masse is ludicrous. Slaughtering anything en masse is ludicrous. It's why cod stocks are a small fraction of what they were. Same with any other species that gets in our way or that we figure we can exploit to the death.

 

[SirJosephPorter]

I think the ban does not cover the Indians; they can still export to Europe. Presumably Europeans wanted to respect their way of life.

 

[mt_pockets1000]

Question: Do the 'indians' kill their seals more humanely? How is it they get a pass and the east coast gets the shaft (or the hakipik)? It's a silly decision by the European union and one they'll live to regret. The IFAW is dancing around like hyenas around a kill. Don't they realize they've now lost the best money making racket they had?

Nice pics Anna. I don't see any animal welfare groups hanging around that kill zone.

 

[Machjo]

Hmmm... Foie gras.

YouTube - Yummy Foie Gras...

One problem if we banned foie gras though is that it would hurt the Canadian foie gras industry too. I suppose we could ban porpoises.

 

[JLM]

Iceland, Japan, and a few others all do much the same thing. I am not against killing animals for food, but we don't need them for clothing, perfume, etc. And to slaughter them en masse is ludicrous. Slaughtering anything en masse is ludicrous. It's why cod stocks are a small fraction of what they were. Same with any other species that gets in our way or that we figure we can exploit to the death.

I would imagine the clothing and perfume comes off the same animal the food does, so I would suggest it would be wasteful not to take the clothing and perfume- they may make damn good corsets...............:lol::lol:

 

[ironsides]

Lots of misinformation floating around this issue. Who said anything about "baby" Seals?

I, too, have seen the video's....dated from when? Makes one wonder why, if this hunt has
been going on for 350 years or so....that video of Seal pups from the '70's is always used
in the anti-Sealing campaigns, eh?

The animal rights organizations will do just about anything for donations. My wife just told me they have been showing the same abused horse for years also.