From July 11-15, Canadian and European trade negotiators are meeting in Brussels to negotiate a multi-billion dollar free trade agreement reportedly expected to benefit the Canadian economy by $12 billion annually. But members of the European Parliament who must ratify the deal are saying that the Harper government's World Trade Organization challenge against the EU's ban on the trade in seal products is a deal-breaker. Harper must stop playing politics and do what's best for the country -- withdraw the WTO challenge and end the cruel commercial seal slaughter.
The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement presently under negotiation during the eighth round of talks is the most important free trade deal since the North American Free Trade Agreement of 1994. It will directly affect the bilateral trade relationship between Canada and our second largest trading partner -- the EU -- for decades.
But a June 11 resolution by the European Parliament said loud and clear that they want Canada to withdraw its WTO challenge against the EU seal product trade ban prior to ratification of the CETA. Why would the Harper government jeopardize such an important trade agreement for the sake of the dying Canadian commercial seal slaughter?
According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans gross revenues from the 2010 harp seal slaughter in Newfoundland and Labrador were approximately $1.3 million. In 2009, one sealer commented that there was more money to be made collecting pop bottles from the side of the road. In both of these years, it is estimated the Canadian government spent more than $4.3 million simply to provide Coast Guard support and legal experts estimate the cost of the WTO complaint process will be around $10 million.
Not only is the seal slaughter non-viable economically, it is also cruel and inhumane. Baby harp seals as young as three weeks old are wounded and left to suffer for prolonged periods, cut open while still alive, left to drown in their own blood or impaled on hooks and dragged across the ice while still conscious.
All of this occurs at a time when seal populations are threatened by global warming and sea ice formation off Canada's east coast has been below average for the last 15 years. This year's ice cover was the lowest on record. Harp seals are ice dependent animals and rely on sea ice to give birth and nurse their pups. In recent years the Canadian government has estimated up to 100 per cent mortality for seal pups in key birthing areas when the sea ice did not form or melted too soon.
No matter which way you look at it, the seal slaughter is cruel, costly and unsustainable. Playing local politics at the expense of the Canadian economy, our international reputation, seals and the health of our oceans is irresponsible and has to stop.
The Harper government must withdraw the WTO challenge and work with fishing communities and citizens groups to put an end to the cruel commercial seal slaughter once and for all.
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I personally think we're all guilty for overfishing. How many of us actually think where our seafood comes from? How many of us will pay extra in order to buy fish and other seafood harvested in a sustainable manner? How many of us are willing to stop the consumption of seafood from species on the brink of extinction? Before we go and start pointing fingers, perhaps we should take a good look at our own habits.
As for the argument of cruelty in the say the seals are killed. I guess it all comes down to perception.
If the seal hunts aren't bringing the country revenue because the goods aren't sought after, then why waste the time, effort and money in forcing the products onto others?
Cariboofly: The EU isn't dictating what Canada does. They are just saying they don't want to be a part of it. A very significant majority of Europeans are opposed to the seal slaughter and have decided not to participate as consumers. Instead of respecting EU sovereignty Canada is attempting to force its products of cruelty on the EU. This will have very real consequences for Canada's trade relationship with the EU - our second largest trading partner.
As for your arguement the seal fishery isn't economical well that is because of terrorist groups like the Fund for Animal Welfare who use it to raise funds and finance their empire. The laughable part is that it is the very type of industry Greenpeace is promoting as part of its world salvation. An economical (if left to the economics of the market place), sutainable (government quotas ensure animals are left for years to come-witness the massive increase in the seal population) and environmentally friendly industry-zero destruction of habitat. So much for environmental groups credibility. Your efforts would have been better appreciated if you would have tackled the foriegn (ie euopean) overfishing problem which plagued the Grand banks for years but that isn't news wothy enough for these groups.
As for a trade deal with the Europeans, forget it. What that would entail is European factory fishing trawlers coming inside the 200 mile limit and raking what ever is left of the fish stocks that they didn't destroy in the 1960's, 70,s, 80,s and 90,s. if you want wonton destruction of the the very food seals live on then that is how you would do it-support Mr. Wright in his arguement for a free trade deal with the Europeans. I give thanks he isn't on the negotiating table (or is he)?
True the hunt has a minimal economic impact on the economy, even Newfoundland's, but it is sustainable and humane contrary to the animal welfare zealots myopia.
Studies by teams of international veterinarians have found the hunt more humane than most abattoirs where most or our meat comes from. True the animal activists can find some random acts that they can negatively spin to their objectives but when it comes to scientific analysis they have none. Neither do they for the sustainability of the seal stocks. Scientific fact is that there are more seals today than there were 10-20-30 years ago. If only our fish stocks could grow so well.
So what should Canada do? Abandon its historic policy of sustainable utilization of its resources to satisfy blackmail by those who have unfairly and deliberately mislead the public against Canada?
Canada is a proud country that does not give into blackmail, especially from those who continue to overfish not only their resources but those of developing countries who do not have the ability to protect theirs.
Let's get on with the trade agreement, it has benefits for the EU as well or it would not be negotiating for one, and let the WTO decide if the EU policy is legitimate.
And you do know that seals aren't endangerd, right? That their population levels have increased back to pre-1970 (I believe) levels because of our smart hunting caps, right?
As for cruelty, the following is from Wiki:
"In 2005, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) commissioned the Independent Veterinarians Working Group Report. With reference to video evidence, the report states: "Perception of the seal hunt seems to be based largely on emotion, and on visual images that are often difficult even for experienced observers to interpret with certainty. While a hakapik strike on the skull of a seal appears brutal, it is humane if it achieves rapid, irreversible loss of consciousness leading to death."[94]"
"According to a 2002 peer-reviewed study done by five Canadian veterinarians and funded by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) 2002 Daoust, et al. sealing report, "the large majority of seals taken during this hunt (at best, 98% in work reported here) are killed in an acceptably humane manner.""
So yeah.
In addition, the oh so sanctimonious EU doo-gooders have exempted the indigenous peoples from this "trade ban" but the ban exists and there is no physical way of comparing the commercial from the indigenous seal pelt. By the way, MOST indigenous-killed seal pelts ARE for commercial purposes. In addition, your silly attempt at "economics" is totally bogus. Did you EVER think that if it weren't for "protesters" the Coast Guard wouldn't need to spend so much to cover the seal hunt?
Doesn't it also strike you as something VERY disingenuous of the EU to try and dictate what Canada does with their OVERLY ABUNDANT wild animal resources while the European's have taken such GREAT care with their own? OH WAIT ! Europe DOESN'T HAVE ANY WILDLIFE ! IT WAS COMPLETELY WIPED OUT A HUNDRED YEARS AGO !!