Some good & some bad news...
We've been getting reports about the many successful protests that took place on 15th March at Canadian embassies and consulates elsewhere in the world. It's wonderful to see how animal welfare and rights activists across the globe are uniting together to highlight the plight of the seals. At Bont voor Dieren we've been getting many phone calls asking why we cannot spray the seals with paint so that their pelts are less attractive to the sealers. As much as we'd like to do this, our hands are tied. According to the Canadian Marine Mammal Regulations, it is legally prohibited to interfere with the hunt in this way. Moreover, if we did so, we'd stuff things up for all the other activists and observers who want to document the hunt in the future
Got some disappointing news today. The plan was for Marianne Thieme, of the Party for Animals, to accompany me to the hunt. After many sleepless nights she has now decided not to join me as an observer. In her weblog she writes (and I translate very roughly!) "from various quarters I've been hearing that a deep involvement combined with being the mother of a young child can have major, traumatic consequences when one is confronted with newborn baby seals having their skulls smashed in or being skinned alive. It's not that I'm making myself scared, but I realise that I have to be fully functional in the coming months to stand up for the rights of animals in the Netherlands'. If you read Dutch, you can read more on her weblog. Although it is a great shame, I can fully understand her decision and know that she will continue to play an important role in maintaining media interest in this brutal hunt at home.
In the meantime, I've been reading that the Canadians seem to be doing their utmost to keep the commercial seal hunt going. Without the governmental subsidies that have been given to perpetuate the hunt, this babarism would probably have long disappeared. The latest strategy is to develop seal products for medical purposes, which seems to be a cynical attempt to make the slaughter of thousands of seals appear to be a benevolent act. Recently, the Minister of Trade for Newfoundland granted CA$50,000 seed money to a company wishing to make a new medical product out of seal oil. Other provincial and federal institutions, such as the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the National Research Council, Industry Canada and the Centre for Fisheries Innovation, have also given financial assistance to this company. In the meantime, a multi-million dollar contract has been signed with a Chinese pharmaceutical company to further develop and market this product in China. Looks like the by-products of the seal hunt are literally going the same way as many of the pelts for which the seals have primarily been clubbed to death.
Got some disappointing news today. The plan was for Marianne Thieme, of the Party for Animals, to accompany me to the hunt. After many sleepless nights she has now decided not to join me as an observer. In her weblog she writes (and I translate very roughly!) "from various quarters I've been hearing that a deep involvement combined with being the mother of a young child can have major, traumatic consequences when one is confronted with newborn baby seals having their skulls smashed in or being skinned alive. It's not that I'm making myself scared, but I realise that I have to be fully functional in the coming months to stand up for the rights of animals in the Netherlands'. If you read Dutch, you can read more on her weblog. Although it is a great shame, I can fully understand her decision and know that she will continue to play an important role in maintaining media interest in this brutal hunt at home.
In the meantime, I've been reading that the Canadians seem to be doing their utmost to keep the commercial seal hunt going. Without the governmental subsidies that have been given to perpetuate the hunt, this babarism would probably have long disappeared. The latest strategy is to develop seal products for medical purposes, which seems to be a cynical attempt to make the slaughter of thousands of seals appear to be a benevolent act. Recently, the Minister of Trade for Newfoundland granted CA$50,000 seed money to a company wishing to make a new medical product out of seal oil. Other provincial and federal institutions, such as the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the National Research Council, Industry Canada and the Centre for Fisheries Innovation, have also given financial assistance to this company. In the meantime, a multi-million dollar contract has been signed with a Chinese pharmaceutical company to further develop and market this product in China. Looks like the by-products of the seal hunt are literally going the same way as many of the pelts for which the seals have primarily been clubbed to death.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home