The southern Gulf slaughter is over. I left Sydney early this
morning and travelled back to Halifax - back to my apartment,
my job and my life. The return home is temporary, however. In
just a few days the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence will open and
the Newfoundland boats will be out in droves, bludgeoning and
shooting every single defenceless seal pup they can find.
I plan to be there to bear witness to this slaughter in the northern
Gulf, just as I did last year.
I expect the government will pull the same dirty tricks they
pulled last week. If the government hoped to demoralize us with
their game-playing they failed miserably. We have been saying
for years that the Canadian government has been following a campaign
to block lawful observation of the commercial seal hunt. Their
actions of last week confirm what we have been saying all along.
I have to say it again: their actions beg the question -- if the
commercial seal hunt is as humane, regulated and monitored as
Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn, Ambassador of Fisheries Decimation
Loyola Sullivan and all the Mouthpieces at DFO offices throughout
the Atlantic Region claim it to be, why are they working so hard
to keep anyone from witnessing it? But everyone knows the answer
-- because DFO officials know that it is not
humane. It is not regulated and monitored.
The annual slaughter of seal pups on the east coast of Canada
is inherently inhumane, unsustainable and completely unnecessary.
There are viable alternatives to sealing. It is my hope that the
European Commission will ban trade in seal products and the Canadian
government will be forced to admit that it's time to consider
the alternatives, for the benefit of everyone - for the sealers
and the seal pups they so mercilessly kill.
I didn't fly today, as the government allowed us to use only
one helicopter in the permitted zone, further restricting our
observation and documentation of the sealers killing seal pups.
This would be the last opportunity for journalists to record the
cruelty before returning home.
A few members of the crew were lucky enough to find thick ice
far from where the slaughter was taking place, and were able to
land and to photograph a group of beater seal pups. Those pups
were fortunate to be on the thick ice, out of reach of the sealing
boats. The photos Mark Glover took were amazing and as I looked
at those seal pups so full of character and innocence I again
wondered about the men who can destroy such beauty without remorse
and the government officials who not only condone it but use my
tax dollars to fund and defend it with false claims of humaneness
and economic necessity.
Camille Labchuk, a member of the Coalition from PEI, was among
those lucky enough to spend time with the beaters and she said
it was the best day of her life. I know how she feels. I hold
precious the time I spent with moulting grey seal pups on Hay
Island in February, on a day the vicious Nova Scotian sealers
were not present on the island. To be able to sit and watch these
chubby little creatures interacting with each other and with me
was a privilege I wish everyone could experience. I am sure if
people could spend time with seals, getting to know them, they
would realize that they are not merely a "natural resource
to be harvested" but are sentient beings, with personalities,
capable of feeling joy, pain and fear.
BRIDGET CURRAN
Anyone who condones the killing of baby seals - whatever species
- I challenge them to witness it for themselves or to at least
watch the videos from the last couple of years. Anyone with an
ounce of compassion in their heart cannot see the horrible things
I have witnessed and not come away proclaiming that the cruelty
has to stop. Anyone who can witness such brutality and claim it
is acceptable and necessary has something deeply and horribly
wrong with them.
People need to stop taking the government's word for it, and
need to begin thinking for themselves and researching the issue.
We owe it to ourselves to think and act independently and to base
our opinion upon careful consideration and research, rather than
forming an uninformed opinion based on government propaganda and
wilful ignorance.
We owe it to ourselves. More importantly, we owe it to
the seals.
Last night Nigel Barker showed us the photos and video he and
his crew had taken from their helicopter. As we reviewed the footage
and images, it was a heartbreaking replay of what I had witnessed
myself out there yesterday afternoon. Different boats, different
sealers, but the sickening heartless brutality was the same. Seal
pups raised their heads, mouths open with cries of terror, as
the sealers brought their hakapiks down with a sickening 'thwack'
on their skulls. As the wounded pups lay on the ice, sealers viciously
stabbed metal hooks through their faces and dragged them back
to the boat.
I have alot of admiration for people who use their celebrity
status to do good and to bring attention to important issues.
In my opinion, Nigel Barker has gone above and beyond, not only
being present to record the adorable whitecoats in their nursery,
but in returning for the horrific task of recording their gruesome
deaths. He and his crew were a wonderful addition to the ProtectSeals
team and I am truly grateful for their fantastic efforts to bring
this issue to the attention of the world. The seals are truly
lucky to have such a dedicated group of people fighting for them,
and victory will be theirs.
8:41 AM
Once again we have been prevented from documenting the cruelty
of Canada's commercial seal hunt. DFO informed us yesterday that
no permits would be issued today until after a 10:00 a.m. conference
call. Their explanation for this decision was that the Magdalen
Island sealers were all returning home out of respect for those
killed yesterday when their boat capsized. The boats we saw yesterday
still working as we headed back to base at 5:30 p.m. did not look
as if they were planning to return home. In fact, they were going
in the opposite direction.
If sealers are killing seals today they would have started at
6:00 a.m. If this is the case, then once again seals are being
killed and DFO has refused to allow anyone to witness the killing.
11:54 AM
NIGEL BARKER
We have a permit update. DFO has advised that they will only
issue permits for only one helicopter at a time. We had hoped
to have everyone permitted and have helicopters crossing over
into the permitted zone one at a time, but DFO has refused to
allow this to happen, insisting instead that only one helicopter
is allowed to be airborne at a time, even outside the permitted
zone.
We are obviously being punished for capturing footage that proves
sealers are not following the three-step process and are in fact
continuing to violate existing Marine Mammal Regulations.
DFO has obviously not yet learned how dedicated we are to this
issue. Whatever obstacle DFO puts in our way we will overcome,
and we will end this cruel hunt forever.
I think DFO must have forgotten to tell the Magdalen Island sealers
about the three-step process. I certainly did not see them performing
the stun/check/bleed procedure known as the "three-step process"
and hailed by the government as the perfect solution for a humane
and responsible hunt. I saw men jumping off boats, running across
ice pans, bludgeoning pups with hakapiks, then hooking and dragging
them back to the boats. They seemed to understand the 'stun' part
and at times it appeared that they mastered the "testing
for consciousness" part, but they just did not seem able
to comprehend the "bleeding" part. And where exactly
was DFO? Where was this oft-proclaimed close monitoring and tight
regulation? This year, as last year, I saw no evidence of that.
I saw five vessels out there killing seals and not a single DFO
official anywhere to be seen.
I just got back from my first trip out to the ice to observe
the killing of seals in Canada's 2008 commercial seal hunt. The
ice had deteriorated to the point that we could no longer land
our helicopter, so once again I observed from the air. The sealing
vessels slid between the loose ice pans, sealers jumping down
and running across to quickly bludgeon, hook and drag the seals
back to the boat before the boat moved on to its next victim.
It was difficult to watch, imagining the terror these very young
pups must be feeling at the sight of sealers bearing down on them
armed with hakapiks, intent on death and destruction. But again,
as heartbreaking as it was to witness the slaughter of these pups,
I was at the same time filled with fresh resolve to shut this
atrocity down for good.
Over the past two days, the Magdalen Island sealers proved what
we have been saying about the three-step process -- it is nothing
but an empty gesture designed to placate the European Commission
on the eve of their decision of whether or not to ban trade in
seal products. It will have little or no effect on animal welfare
and will be impossible to monitor and enforce.
From what I have personally witnessed today, it is business as
usual out on the ice floes in the east coast of Canada - sealers
rushing about in a race against time and each other, bludgeoning,
hooking, dragging and skinning seals, regardless of whether or
not the pups are still conscious.
9:00 AM
It was in the news this morning that a sealing vessel from the
Magdalen Islands capsized and only two of the six crew aboard
were rescued. Latest reports indicate that three bodies have been
pulled from the frigid waters and a fourth crew member is still
missing.
This tragic incident highlights how truly dangerous sealing can
be. Every year men die or are injured whilst engaging in the seal
hunt, but it is rarely reported in the media.
Today is a reminder to everyone that the seal hunt makes victims
of seals and sealers alike. Just as the pups are at the mercy
of sealers, the sealers themselves are at the mercy of the harsh
environment in which they work. The government boasts that it
is committed to protecting the sealers and ensuring they are able
to work without interference from observers and protesters, but
if the government truly cared about the lives of these sealers
and their families, it would implement a license buyback program
which would take the sealers off the ice and provide older sealers
with an early retirement package and retraining opportunities
for younger sealers. It is in the government's power to ensure
that no more lives are lost out there.
I was up before dawn this morning and joined members of the ProtectSeals
team at their headquarters. The ProtectSeals HQ was a busy hive
of activity at that early hour. As we worked, a sense of foreboding
hung heavy in the air as everyone believed that at that moment
seal pups were being slaughtered without anyone to bear witness
to the brutality.
We received word a short while ago that we would be allowed to
have permits for three helicopters. Perhaps the international
pressure that had been brought to bear on the Canadian government
was the cause of DFO's change of mind. However, DFO's decision
came in conjunction with news that a bad weather system was moving
into the region which would make it impossible for our helicopters
to get out to begin documenting the seal hunt. All pilots were
in agreement that although there would be time to get out to the
area in which the hunt would be taking place, there would not
be time to get back safely. The decision was made to remain grounded
for the day.
We have also received word that the seal pups have gotten a reprieve
for the day. None of the sealing boats in position were killing
seals. For an unknown reason, the boats were not operating, with
all sealers onboard idle. I can only imagine the frustration of
the sealers, their fingers itching to pick up hakapik and club
and begin smashing skulls for the sake of a few extra bucks in
their pocket. I have no sympathy for them. My sympathy lies with
their victims - seal pups as young as two weeks of age who will
all too soon be bludgeoned to death to satisfy the cravings of
the fashion industry.
At least these pups will get to live one more day before their
short lives are ended in the most brutal and horrendous manner
possible.
12:31 PM
REUTERS/IFAW
We have received word that sealers from the Magdalen Islands
are now on the ice floes bludgeoning and skinning seal pups with
not an ounce of remorse in their hearts. At this very moment as
I type this, a young seal pup just a couple of weeks old is being
clubbed to death on the very ice floes that were his birthing
and nursing grounds.
And we do not know if anyone is present to witness his intense
fear and pain as he falls victim to the greed and savagery of
sealers from the Magdalen Islands. The Canadian government has
worked hard to ensure he dies alone with no compassionate eyes
bearing witness.
It is heartbreaking to think that these pups are at this moment
being bludgeoned to death for their fur. It is devastating to
envision the scene unfolding - greedy sealers rushing about on
the ice floes, viciously pounding hakapik into skull to immobilize
the pups, not caring if they are dead or alive before leaving
them to pursue other seals, as the pristine ice turns into a river
of blood.
But overriding that heartache is an increasing sense of purpose
and resolve. The government works hard to ensure the killing of
seals continues in secret, but the ProtectSeals team works even
harder to ensure that this issue is not shrouded from the public
eye and that the inhumane killing of seals on the east coast of
Canada is brought to a halt.
I am proud to stand with this courageous and dedicated group
of people to protect seals.
1:00 PM
This grows more farcical by the minute. In the past, daily renewal
of permits has been relatively easy. This year suddenly the rules
have changed.
We have been advised by DFO that we must now present ourselves
at the DFO office each morning to renew our permits in person.
There is no guarantee that everyone permitted today will be permitted
tomorrow. In other words, the media and photographers who were
set to document the cruelty of the seal hunt but were prevented
from doing so by a combination of DFO machinations and bad weather
may not be re-permitted tomorrow.
REUTERS/International Fund for Animal Welfare/
Stewart Cook/Handout
To further complicate matters, the seal hunt begins at daybreak
every day. The average start time is 6:00 a.m. DFO does not open
its office until 9:00 a.m. Therefore, for a MINIMUM of three hours
the killing of seals will continue unwatched and undocumented.
By the time the DFO office opens, the requisite paperwork is filled
out, and we reach the helicopters, an obscene number of seal pups
will already have been slaughtered with nobody watching. What
DFO has done is effectively state an intention to withhold observation
permits for a portion of each day while seals are being killed.
This must not be allowed to continue.
This is the most outrageous stunt the Canadian government and
Department of Fisheries and Oceans has ever pulled. It is patently
obvious that they do not want anyone to witness the killing of
seals in Canada and there is absolutely no low to which they will
stoop to achieve their goal.
Who do the folks at DFO think they are fooling? They make representations
to the world - indeed they have sent a delegation of government
officials and sealers to Europe to make these representations
- that the hunt is humane, regulated and fully open for scrutiny,
yet their very actions contradict these claims. The seal hunt
is NOT humane, NOT regulated and DFO's frantic efforts to block
lawful scrutiny of the seal hunt make it patently obvious that
DFO itself knows this and is desperate to hide that fact.
I hope the European representatives with whom the Canadian delegation
is meeting will ask the Canadians why exactly, if DFO has nothing
to hide, they are making it impossible for anyone to witness the
seal hunt.
It will be very interesting to see how the Canadian delegation
answers that question.
Today the Canadian government has shown just how
far it will go to ensure that the slaughter of baby seals occurs
unseen and unwatched. The ProtectSeals team was advised by DFO
today that no permits would be issued until Saturday, which means
that the entire first day of killing will occur in secret with
nobody to observe or document the cruelty.
DFO's excuse is that it does not know how many sealing boats
will be positioned to slaughter baby seals when the hunt begins
at roughly 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. DFO officials claim that
they need to fly over the area to ascertain how many boats are
present to ensure that there are not too many observers. DFO knows
- as do we - that at least 12 boats will be in position when the
bloodbath begins.
This is not particularly surprising to me, as the Canadian government
has been following a campaign of blocking lawful observation to
the commercail seal hunt for many years. This year the stakes
are high - DFO announced the implementation of a 3-step killing
process which requires sealers to cut the arteries of the pup
sometime after stunning to supposedly ensure the pups are dead
before being skinned. This new process does not follow veterinarians'
definition of a humane kill and will be impossible to monitork,
and the government knows this. The 3-step process is simply an
empty gesture - mere lip service to placate the European Commission
on the eve of their decision of whether or not to ban trade in
seal products.
The government is so terrified of what we will witness and document
out there on the ice floes that they are willing to risk the intensely
negative PR and the ire of the international community to ensure
that the cruelty is not captured on film.
The Canadian commercial seal hunt occurs in public space and
it is our right under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
to witness it. Each year the government of Canada violates our
rights by requiring observers to have permits and to remain 10
metres away from sealers while they are killing seals. Each year
we must jump through hoops - sending application forms, attending
for an interview, being kept waiting at DFO's convenience, answering
the same silly questions and being at the whim of the Minister
of Fisheries and Oceans, because ultimately if he feels that someone
plans to disupt the hunt - whether or not they have stated such
an intention - he can refuse to issue them a permit. Under the
Charter of Rights and Freedoms, we as Canadians have the right
to peaceful assembly on public space and have freedom of the press
and other media of communication. If DFO succeeds in its campaign
to block all lawful observation and documentation of the seal
slaughter - including national and international journalists -
it succeeds in shrouding the slaughter of seals in secrecy and
violates the rights of those unable to attend in person to inform
and educate themselves as to the true aspects of the slaughter.
This will not happen.
If the government thinks this will stop us in our quest to protect
seals and to bring an end to this intensely cruel and archaic
slaughter, the government needs to think again.
It's hard to believe that the year has fallen away and we are
once again bracing ourselves to witness the inhumane slaughter
of seals that occurs annually on Canada's east coast.
Just last month I bore witness to the cruel slaughter of grey
seal pups on Hay
Island, part of the Scatterie Island protected wilderness
area. Then, Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans colluded
with the government of Nova Scotia to allow sealers to enter
upon a protected wilderness area to slaughter up to 2,500 grey
seal pups. I was present on the island with Rebecca
Aldworth of Humane
Society International/Canada / Humane
Society of the United States to document
their horrific deaths.
Now, it is the beginning of the slaughter of harp and hooded
seal pups. The location is different. The species of seal is
different. The inherent cruelty is the same. As then, we are
here now to bear witness and to document the cruelty to share
with the world.
I arrived in Charlottetown two days ago where I joined the
ProtectSeals team as they ready themselves to witness and document
the atrocity of the commercial seal hunt.
The Canadian commercial seal hunt is the largest slaughter
of marine wildlife in the world. Baby seals just a couple of
weeks old are bludgeoned and shot to death for their skin to
supply the fashion industry in Europe. It is a vicious annual
occurrence here in Canada and is rabidly defended by the Canadian
government and the sealing industry.
BRIDGET CURRAN
NIGEL BARKER
NIGEL BARKER
REUTERS/IFAW
REUTERS/International Fund for Animal Welfare/