Thank you for taking the time to write to me and for your interest in the work of Senators and the Senate of Canada. As a Canadian senator, I have examined the issue of the seal hunt closely with an objective eye. I DO support a sustainable and humane seal hunt and I will NOT be supporting Senator Harb’s Bill.
Canada’s seal hunt is both humane and sustainable and those people who oppose this hunt need to hear the facts. Studies done by the World Wildlife Fund and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association have shown that that hunt can be performed in a humane way and the regulations that govern the hunt follow the recommendations of those reports.
Canada's sealing industry is heavily regulated, much like other agricultural industries (for example, cattle processing plants). These regulations are in place to ensure that the sealing industry is sustainable, humane, and commercially viable.
Furthermore, regulation also ensures that the traditional way of life for Canada's coastal communities is protected; the thousands of Canadians throughout the North, the Atlantic Provinces and Quebec who depend on the sealing industry for their livelihood can continue to do so for generations to come. In particular, some Aboriginal communities depend on the seal hunt not just for food but also for fuel and clothing. As such, the long term sustainability of the seal herd is a matter of life or death to some communities.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has been monitoring the seal herd since the 1970's to ensure that it continues to thrive along Canada's East Coast. Studies have shown that in the last thirty years the size of the seal population in Canada has grown from 2 million seals to over 5.5 million seals. Successive governments have also put regulations in place to govern the seal hunt that take into consideration the recommendations given to it by the World Wildlife Fund and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. Even the leading international environmental organization, Greenpeace, has said that the harvest of seals under Canadian management poses no risk to the herd’s sustained viability.
Often, the images that are used of the seal hunt are out of date and pre-date current regulations. I encourage you to ensure that the images are in fact real and not “doctored” to suit the purposes of some organizations that consistently provide false and misleading information. However, I cannot stress enough that:
1. The killing of seal pups is illegal and has been so since the late 1980's;
2. The Royal Commission on Seals and Sealing studied the methods used to kill the animals and found that the methods used are comparable to the methods used to kill poultry or cattle by commercial slaughterhouses; and
3. Sealers are well trained in humane hunting methods and are largely responsible and law-abiding hunters.
Regulations and licensing policies are in place which monitors hunting seasons, quotas, vessel size and method of dispatch. Sealers who do not follow the rules are subject to criminal charges.
I would encourage you to engage in an open and honest dialogue on controversial topics such as the seal hunt. It is in this spirit that I would urge you to take a look at the website for the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/).
Once again, thank you for taking the time to write to me. I hope that you continue your interest in the protection of our wildlife and I hope that I may have provided some insight into this topic. However, I will re-iterate that I will continue to support a balanced and sustainable approached to the seal hunt and I will continue to work hard to ensure the hunt is conducted in a safe and humane manner.
Yours sincerely,
The Honourable Terry M. Mercer
Senator (Northend Halifax, Nova Scotia)
EU Official
Thank you for your email concerning the opinion of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) on the proposal for a regulation regarding trade in seal products and its total ban by the Rapporteur
First of all, it is important to distinguish between the broad-based slaughter of seals outside the EU and the traditional hunt in moderate extent in the Nordic countries of the EU like Inuits do. Within the EU, seal hunting is already subject to strict and detailed regulation covering participation, hunting seasons, vessels and methods of slaughtering. In addition, there are quotas set. Calculated by specialists these quotas ensure that the overall seal population continues to thrive.
In order to protect the seal population the broad-based commercial slaughter of seals is to repress. At the same time it is important to take the consensus on an important exception into consideration: As Inuit people make a living of hunting seals they shall further on have the chance to hunt these animals in a controlled way. I am convinced that this regulation is a balanced solution regarding the seals and their habitat as well as the indigenous people.
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Richard Seeber
Dr. Richard Seeber
Member of the European Parliament (EPP-ED)
ASP 08F161
Rue Wiertz 60
1047 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0) 2 28 47468
Fax:+32 (0) 2 28 49 468
Senator Alison Deacon
I would like to thank you for being part of our efforts to end the commercial seal hunt in Canada. Bill S-229 has now been introduced in the Senate and we are working to build support amongst Canadian Senators.
My colleagues need to know how you feel about the commercial seal hunt and so I urge you to contact your Senator, and Senators from across the country to ask them to support my motion to move the bill to Second Reading. http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/senmemb/senate/isenator.asp?Language=E
Together, we must ensure that each Senator understands that the majority of Canadians want the commercial seal hunt in Canada to end. Thanks once again for your support for the Harb Seal Bill.
Senator Alison Deacon
My colleagues need to know how you feel about the commercial seal hunt and so I urge you to contact your Senator, and Senators from across the country to ask them to support my motion to move the bill to Second Reading. http://www.parl.gc.ca/comm
Together, we must ensure that each Senator understands that the majority of Canadians want the commercial seal hunt in Canada to end. Thanks once again for your support for the Harb Seal Bill.
Senator Alison Deacon
Rodger Cuzner, M.P. Nova Scoita
Thank you for your e-mail regarding the commercial seal hunt. I appreciate having your comments on this important issue. I recognize that this is a sensitive issue for both those concerned about the ethical treatment of animals as well as those for whom seal hunting is a source of livelihood.
The seal hunt is an important industry for thousands of Canadians throughout the North, Atlantic Canada and Quebec. Seals have been harvested for food, fuel, shelter and other materials for hundreds of years and the subsistence hunt is a valuable link to Canadian cultural heritage.
In 2007, I took part in an extensive parliamentary study on the commercial seal hunt as a member of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. Our report, titled “Ensuring a Sustainable and Humane Seal Harvest” can be found at the following link:
http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/Content/HOC/committee/391/fopo/reports/rp2872843/foporp04/foporp04-e.pdf
As you will read in this report, the current seal population is estimated at close to 6-million (2005 estimate), up from about 2-million in 1970. This population increase has created a number of concerns with regard to the impact on groundfish stocks in the Atlantic region.
I fully support all recommendations in the report, and believe it is important to strike a balance between protecting the livelihood and cultural significance of those who participate in the seal hunt while ensuring that the seal hunt is continually monitored so that it remains humane and sustainable.
I would encourage you to take a look at the information presented in our report. You may also consult the Department of Fisheries and Oceans fact sheet at:
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/seal-phoque/myth_e.htm
Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office.
Rodger Cuzner, M.P.
Cape Breton - Canso
The seal hunt is an important industry for thousands of Canadians throughout the North, Atlantic Canada and Quebec. Seals have been harvested for food, fuel, shelter and other materials for hundreds of years and the subsistence hunt is a valuable link to Canadian cultural heritage.
In 2007, I took part in an extensive parliamentary study on the commercial seal hunt as a member of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. Our report, titled “Ensuring a Sustainable and Humane Seal Harvest” can be found at the following link:
http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/Con
As you will read in this report, the current seal population is estimated at close to 6-million (2005 estimate), up from about 2-million in 1970. This population increase has created a number of concerns with regard to the impact on groundfish stocks in the Atlantic region.
I fully support all recommendations in the report, and believe it is important to strike a balance between protecting the livelihood and cultural significance of those who participate in the seal hunt while ensuring that the seal hunt is continually monitored so that it remains humane and sustainable.
I would encourage you to take a look at the information presented in our report. You may also consult the Department of Fisheries and Oceans fact sheet at:
http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/s
Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office.
Rodger Cuzner, M.P.
Cape Breton - Canso
Senator Elaine McCoy
Thank you for your email. I must advise that Senator Harb's bill did not proceed yesterday. He failed to secure a seconder for his motion, and so it failed. Nevertheless, I've noted your views and will keep them in mind if the subject is brought back to the floor of the Senate.
Regards, Elaine McCoy
Regards, Elaine McCoy
Senator Joseph Day
Dear Sir/Madam:
Thank you for your email concerning Bill S-229, which would prohibit seal hunting in Canada.
The Liberal Party of Canada recognizes this is a sensitive issue for both those concerned about the ethical treatment of animals as well as those for whom seal hunting is a source of livelihood.
We support a balanced and sustainable approach to the seal hunt, and Liberal governments in the past have worked hard to ensure the hunt is conducted in a safe and humane manner. Studies conducted in conjunction with the World Wildlife Federation and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association have both concluded that the hunts as currently conducted are humane.
The seal hunt is an important industry for thousands of Canadians throughout the North, Atlantic Canada and Quebec. Seals have been harvested for food, fuel, shelter and other materials for hundreds of years and the subsistence hunt is a valuable link to Canadian cultural heritage.
However, we believe this traditional industry must be tightly regulated to be both sustainable and humane. Canada’s seal population is healthy and abundant – the harp seal herd is estimated to be in excess of five million animals, nearly triple the population of the 1970s. We will work to ensure that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) continues to set responsible quotas designed to ensure the health and abundance of seal herds.
Although banning the seal hunt is not the position of the Liberal Party, or any other major Canadian political party, any member can introduce a private member’s bill. These continue to be free votes within our Party.
To learn more about the commercial seal hunt and the myths surrounding it, I invite you to visit the website of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans at: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/seal-phoque/myth-eng.htm
Thank you for taking the time to share your views on this important issue.
Yours truly,
Joseph A. Day
Senator
Thank you for your email concerning Bill S-229, which would prohibit seal hunting in Canada.
The Liberal Party of Canada recognizes this is a sensitive issue for both those concerned about the ethical treatment of animals as well as those for whom seal hunting is a source of livelihood.
We support a balanced and sustainable approach to the seal hunt, and Liberal governments in the past have worked hard to ensure the hunt is conducted in a safe and humane manner. Studies conducted in conjunction with the World Wildlife Federation and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association have both concluded that the hunts as currently conducted are humane.
The seal hunt is an important industry for thousands of Canadians throughout the North, Atlantic Canada and Quebec. Seals have been harvested for food, fuel, shelter and other materials for hundreds of years and the subsistence hunt is a valuable link to Canadian cultural heritage.
However, we believe this traditional industry must be tightly regulated to be both sustainable and humane. Canada’s seal population is healthy and abundant – the harp seal herd is estimated to be in excess of five million animals, nearly triple the population of the 1970s. We will work to ensure that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) continues to set responsible quotas designed to ensure the health and abundance of seal herds.
Although banning the seal hunt is not the position of the Liberal Party, or any other major Canadian political party, any member can introduce a private member’s bill. These continue to be free votes within our Party.
To learn more about the commercial seal hunt and the myths surrounding it, I invite you to visit the website of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans at: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/seal-phoque/myth-eng.htm
Thank you for taking the time to share your views on this important issue.
Yours truly,
Joseph A. Day
Senator
Senator Tommy Banks
Thank you for your message about the seal hunt.
I am a senator from Alberta, and I know very little about seals or about hunting them. There are colleagues though, in the Senate, who know a lot about seals and the seal hunt, and to whose advice I pay particular attention.
There are as many opinions about the seal hunt as there are people. Fishermen and most scientists tell us that the explosion in the seal herd populations (it’s about three times what it was a few years ago) is a very serious problem of imbalance, and that it constitutes a very serious ecological challenge, particularly to cod stocks on which seals feed, and that are being severely depleted.
Animal rights activists tell us that the hunt is barbaric and inhumane.
You may be assured that should any legislative measure, including the Bill devised by Senator Harb, come before the Senate, it will receive the most careful consideration, and that I will follow those deliberations very closely. This is a matter that engages many Canadians, as is evidenced by the vast volume of messages received by my colleagues and me on all sides of the question.
Thank you again for letting me have your thoughts.
Tommy Banks
Senator for Alberta
I am a senator from Alberta, and I know very little about seals or about hunting them. There are colleagues though, in the Senate, who know a lot about seals and the seal hunt, and to whose advice I pay particular attention.
There are as many opinions about the seal hunt as there are people. Fishermen and most scientists tell us that the explosion in the seal herd populations (it’s about three times what it was a few years ago) is a very serious problem of imbalance, and that it constitutes a very serious ecological challenge, particularly to cod stocks on which seals feed, and that are being severely depleted.
Animal rights activists tell us that the hunt is barbaric and inhumane.
You may be assured that should any legislative measure, including the Bill devised by Senator Harb, come before the Senate, it will receive the most careful consideration, and that I will follow those deliberations very closely. This is a matter that engages many Canadians, as is evidenced by the vast volume of messages received by my colleagues and me on all sides of the question.
Thank you again for letting me have your thoughts.
Tommy Banks
Senator for Alberta
Senator Lorna Milne
Good Afternoon,
Thank you very much for your recent letter regarding the Canadian Seal Hunt. This is a very important issue and I am pleased you have taken the time to share your view with me on this matter. I have had the opportunity to become intimately involved in the debates surrounding this topic in the past decade and I am happy to respond to your letter by dispelling a few of the myths regarding the Canadian Seal Harvest.
For many Canadians located close to the Gulf of St. Lawerence, off the east coast of Newfoundland, and in the North, harvesting seals has been part of a traditional way of life for hundreds of years. Thousands of Canadians rely on this activity as an important source of income every year. In April 2007, the House of Commons Committee on Fisheries and Oceans stated, “This activity is particularly important to Inuit communities in the North who have for generations depended on the seal for their survival and economic well-being. The threat of a ban on the importation of products from the seal harvest is a real concern to these people, and the Canadian government has to do a better job at defending their interests on the international scene.”
In September 2006, I had the displeasure of rebuking the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Loyola Hearn for failing to appropriately respond to a European Parliament call for a ban on the sale of Canadian seal products. At the time, my colleague Bill Matthews said the Minister’s cavalier attitude to the livelihood and reputation of thousands of citizens of Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada’s Aboriginal People was absolutely unacceptable.
During this period there were between 5000 and 6000 Canadians involved in this industry which produced an average of about $3,000 each in annual income. In areas that experience unemployment rates that are usually more than 30 per cent higher than the national average, this is a significant amount of income.
Unfortunately, Mr. Matthews’s words were incredibly perceptive since under this Conservative government the value of the seal hunt has dropped from $32 million to about $7 million. Meanwhile, it has been the constant practice of groups opposed to the hunt to use outdated and out of context images of the seal hunt to distort the public’s view of the hunt. Distorted, false and even doctored images of the seal hunt are among the most effective tools for fundraising by many extreme animal rights groups.
As President of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association from 2004 to 2007, I have had literally dozens of opportunities to hear the arguments brought forward by European Parliamentarians regarding this issue while attending Council of Europe sessions on behalf of Canadian Parliamentarians. I have also had numerous chances to hear from Canadians stakeholders as well, and have come to a few conclusions of my own.
It is my understanding that the Government of Canada makes every effort to ensure the seal hunt is conducted in a safe and humane manner. In 2005, an Independent Veterinarians' Working Group (IVWG) on the Canadian Harp Seal Hunt was formed to review the Canadian seal hunt and contribute to the promotion of animal welfare. The working group made recommendations based on improving the humaneness of the hunt and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is adopting these recommendations through further consultation with the Working Group and industry stakeholders. In fact the Canadian Seal Hunt is the most stringently regulated and closely monitored fishery in the world, with trained government observers on every boat, at every dock and in every processing plant.
In their report, the Independent Veterinarians' Working Group on the Canadian Harp Seal Hunt concluded: "the Canadian harp seal hunt is professional and highly regulated by comparison with seal hunts in Greenland and the North Atlantic. It has the potential to serve as a model to improve humane practice and reduce seal suffering within other hunts."
I agree with the April 2007 findings of House of Commons Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. The Canadian seal harvest is a humane and sustainable activity. It is an important part of the economic, cultural and social fabric of Canada’s East coast and the North and has a crucial role in achieving and maintaining an ecological balance with other marine species. I encourage you to have an objective look at all the material that you review regarding this issue and then come to your own conclusion. We know it is sustainable because the harp seal herd in the Northwest Atlantic has increased from about 1.9 million in 1970 to an estimated 5.82 million in 2005.
I want to thank you once again for sharing your views with me on the issue of the Canadian Seal Harvest. If you have any questions regarding this, or any other issue concerning the Government of Canada, please do not hesitate to contact me on a future occasion.
Sincerely,
Hon Lorna Milne,
Senator
Thank you very much for your recent letter regarding the Canadian Seal Hunt. This is a very important issue and I am pleased you have taken the time to share your view with me on this matter. I have had the opportunity to become intimately involved in the debates surrounding this topic in the past decade and I am happy to respond to your letter by dispelling a few of the myths regarding the Canadian Seal Harvest.
For many Canadians located close to the Gulf of St. Lawerence, off the east coast of Newfoundland, and in the North, harvesting seals has been part of a traditional way of life for hundreds of years. Thousands of Canadians rely on this activity as an important source of income every year. In April 2007, the House of Commons Committee on Fisheries and Oceans stated, “This activity is particularly important to Inuit communities in the North who have for generations depended on the seal for their survival and economic well-being. The threat of a ban on the importation of products from the seal harvest is a real concern to these people, and the Canadian government has to do a better job at defending their interests on the international scene.”
In September 2006, I had the displeasure of rebuking the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Loyola Hearn for failing to appropriately respond to a European Parliament call for a ban on the sale of Canadian seal products. At the time, my colleague Bill Matthews said the Minister’s cavalier attitude to the livelihood and reputation of thousands of citizens of Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada’s Aboriginal People was absolutely unacceptable.
During this period there were between 5000 and 6000 Canadians involved in this industry which produced an average of about $3,000 each in annual income. In areas that experience unemployment rates that are usually more than 30 per cent higher than the national average, this is a significant amount of income.
Unfortunately, Mr. Matthews’s words were incredibly perceptive since under this Conservative government the value of the seal hunt has dropped from $32 million to about $7 million. Meanwhile, it has been the constant practice of groups opposed to the hunt to use outdated and out of context images of the seal hunt to distort the public’s view of the hunt. Distorted, false and even doctored images of the seal hunt are among the most effective tools for fundraising by many extreme animal rights groups.
As President of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association from 2004 to 2007, I have had literally dozens of opportunities to hear the arguments brought forward by European Parliamentarians regarding this issue while attending Council of Europe sessions on behalf of Canadian Parliamentarians. I have also had numerous chances to hear from Canadians stakeholders as well, and have come to a few conclusions of my own.
It is my understanding that the Government of Canada makes every effort to ensure the seal hunt is conducted in a safe and humane manner. In 2005, an Independent Veterinarians' Working Group (IVWG) on the Canadian Harp Seal Hunt was formed to review the Canadian seal hunt and contribute to the promotion of animal welfare. The working group made recommendations based on improving the humaneness of the hunt and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is adopting these recommendations through further consultation with the Working Group and industry stakeholders. In fact the Canadian Seal Hunt is the most stringently regulated and closely monitored fishery in the world, with trained government observers on every boat, at every dock and in every processing plant.
In their report, the Independent Veterinarians' Working Group on the Canadian Harp Seal Hunt concluded: "the Canadian harp seal hunt is professional and highly regulated by comparison with seal hunts in Greenland and the North Atlantic. It has the potential to serve as a model to improve humane practice and reduce seal suffering within other hunts."
I agree with the April 2007 findings of House of Commons Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. The Canadian seal harvest is a humane and sustainable activity. It is an important part of the economic, cultural and social fabric of Canada’s East coast and the North and has a crucial role in achieving and maintaining an ecological balance with other marine species. I encourage you to have an objective look at all the material that you review regarding this issue and then come to your own conclusion. We know it is sustainable because the harp seal herd in the Northwest Atlantic has increased from about 1.9 million in 1970 to an estimated 5.82 million in 2005.
I want to thank you once again for sharing your views with me on the issue of the Canadian Seal Harvest. If you have any questions regarding this, or any other issue concerning the Government of Canada, please do not hesitate to contact me on a future occasion.
Sincerely,
Hon Lorna Milne,
Senator
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