Most Canadians back seal hunt

As I write to the European Parliamentarians this week, it is good to read a news article stating that:

More than four in five Canadians support the Inuit seal hunt, according to a poll sponsored by the Fur Institute of Canada and the governments of Nunavut, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

The poll, conducted April 12-18 by TNS Canadian Facts, revealed 82 per cent of Canadians support the Inuit seal hunt, while 85 per cent believe seals should be managed to protect fish stocks.

It is also good to see that the majority of Canadians are aware that that both Inuit and non-Inuit respect animal welfare within their seal hunting practices.

These are indicators that our work in dispelling the myths promoted by anti-sealing groups has been working.

This week I wrote to all Members of the European Union, and sent a copy of an article written by Aaju Peter for Above & Beyond Magazine that describes the use of seal from an Inuit perspective. This is an article I hope will change the perspectives of the members of the European Union regarding the ban on the import of seal products into the EU.

In the covering letter I sent with the article I reminded the European Union membership of something that I have said many times. While Inuit were not directly targeted by the seal bans of the 1980s we did suffer significant cultural, social, and economic impacts arising from the bans.

There is no indication, and we hold no hope, that this round of bans will result in anything different. This is why, in addition to our ongoing lobbying efforts, Inuit have also launched a legal challenge to the European Seal ban.

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