By- Tanya Drobness
Ian Robichaud remembers the first time he held a defenseless, fluffy baby harp seal in his arms, just days before the 2003 Canadian seal hunt began in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Working as a Sea Shepherd photographer, Robichaud was deeply moved while being amidst hundreds of snow-covered seal pups. "It's hard to walk into a nursery of baby seals and not be mesmerized", Robichaud recalled.
The sight of white pups coating the ice turned bloody days later when hundreds lay dead. But a new mission to save future generations was born. Robichaud expanded the few seal hunt web pages he had created for Sea Shepherd into an influential non-profit organization now known as Harpseals.org, which aims to abolish the seal slaughter, mostly by boycotting Canadian seafood.
Designed to sanction the industry behind the slaughter, Robichaud believes the organization will help end the hunt.
While the European white coat pelt import ban in 1983 reduced quotas, Robichaud said, many Americans don’t realize the slaughter continues. More than 300,000 baby seals are killed every spring. About 95% of the victims are babies between 12 and 90 days old, their lives ended by spiked clubs and guns. As many as 42% are skinned alive.
"Hunt observers have seen conscious seals stabbed with boat hooks and dragged across the ice, or beaten until the ice around them turns scarlet. These seals are babies. Many have not yet learned how to swim or eaten their first solid meal," said Pamela Anderson, saddened by the actions taken by fellow Canadians participating in the hunt. "As a proud Canadian, I truly believe that Canada is one of the most forward-thinking countries when it comes to animal welfare. So it's disheartening to me that Canada's leaders can look the other way while hunters slaughter thousands of defenseless seals every year for something as frivolous as fur."
Although bringing awareness about the horrors of the annual slaughter drive Robichaud to continue, he hopes to one day close the organization. "We're in business to go out of business. We don't want to be fighting this 10 years from now."
Anderson continues to work diligently to end the massacre. "Canadian officials might be able to turn a blind eye to this suffering, but we don't have to. As long as there is a demand for fur-trimmed jackets and fur boots, seals will continue to be killed on the ice, so please don't buy fur. And visit PETA.org to sign my petition calling for an end to the shameful seal hunt once and for all."
Seals in Need
