For many years the World Society for the Protection of Animals has worked to end forms of cruelty to animals overseas, such as bear baiting, bullfighting and captive dolphinarias. So to read that Canada is allowing the biggest seal cull for more than 50 years can only be seen as a huge backwards step.
Not only is this one of the largest slaughters of marine mammals anywhere on the planet but the methods used to kill these baby seals often subject them to a great deal of suffering.
An independent veterinary study in 2001 found that 42pc of these animals are actually skinned alive. The government would not allow livestock in Canada to be killed in this way, by beating animals to death and skinning them alive, so why is this cruelty legal in Canada for baby seals?
The Canadian Government justifies the cull by claiming that seals in the North Atlantic destroy cod stocks, but there is no scientific support for this. In fact, scientific evidence has shown the true cause of cod depletion is over-fishing.
To help stop to this cruel, unnecessary practice, readers should write to the Canadian High Commission, 38 Grosvenor Street, London, W1K 4AA.
