Senate Floor Statement on Seal Hunt Resolution

Mr. President, Canada’s commercial seal hunt is the largest slaughter of marine mammals in the world. According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), over one million seals have been killed for their fur in the past three years. In 2006 alone, more than 350,000 seals were slaughtered, most of them between 12 days and 12 weeks old.

Canada officially opened another seal hunt on November 15, 2006, paving the way for hundreds of thousands of baby seals to be killed for their fur during the spring of 2007. Today, I am joined by Senator Collins and Senator Biden in submitting a resolution that urges the Government of Canada to end this senseless and inhumane slaughter.

A study by an independent team of veterinarians in 2001, found that the seal hunt failed to comply with basic animal welfare standards and that Canadian regulations with regard to humane killing were not being enforced. The study concluded that up to 42 percent of the seals studied were likely skinned while alive and conscious. The United States has long banned the import of seal products because of widespread outrage over the magnitude and cruelty of the hunt.

It makes little sense to continue this inhumane industry that employs only a few hundred people on a seasonal, part-time basis and only operates for a few weeks a year, in which the concentrated killings takes place. In Newfoundland, where over 90 percent of the hunters live, the economic contribution of the seal hunt is marginal. In fact, exports of seal products from Newfoundland account for less than one-tenth of one percent of the province’s total exports.

Canada is fortunate to have vast and diverse wildlife populations, but these animals deserve protection, not senseless slaughter. Americans have a long history of defending marine mammals, best evidenced by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. Polls show that close to 80 percent of Americans and the vast majority of Europeans oppose Canada’s seal hunt. In fact, close to 70 percent of Canadians surveyed oppose the hunt completely, with even higher numbers opposing specific aspects of the hunt, such as killing baby seals.

The U.S. Government has opposed this senseless slaughter, as noted in the attached, January 19, 2005, letter from the U.S. Department of State, in response to a letter Senator Collins and I wrote to President Bush, urging him to raise this issue during his November 30, 2004, visit with Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin.

The clubbing of baby seals cannot be defended or justified. Canada should end it, just as we ended the Alaska seal hunt more than 20 years ago.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Washington, D.C.
January 19, 2005

Hon. CARL LEVIN
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C.

Dear Senator Levin:

This is in response to your letter to the President of November 24, 2004, regarding Canadian commercial seal hunting. The White House has requested that the Department of State respond. We regret the delay in responding. Unfortunately, this letter was not received in the Department of State until mid-December, well after the referenced meeting between President Bush and Prime Minister Paul Martin of Canada.

We are aware of Canada's seal hunting activities and of the opposition to it expressed by many Americans. Furthermore, we can assure you that the United States has a long-standing policy opposing the hunting of seals and other marine mammals absent sufficient safeguards and information to ensure that the hunting will not adversely impact the affected marine mammal population or the ecosystem of which it is a part. The United States policy is reflected in the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (MMPA) which generally prohibits, with narrow and specific exceptions, the taking of marine mammals in waters or lands subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and the importation of marine mammals and marine mammal products into the United States.

The United States has made known to the Government of Canada its objections and the objections of concerned American legislators and citizens to the Canadian commercial seal hunt on numerous occasions over recent years. The United States has also opposed Canada's efforts within the Arctic Council to promote trade in sealskins and other marine mammal products.

We hope this information is helpful to you. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of assistance in this or any other matter.

Sincerely,

Nancy Powell, (For Paul V. Kelly, Asst. Secretary, Legislative Affairs).

Mr. President, according to the highly respected Humane Society of the United States, HSUS, Canada's government has authorized the slaughter of nearly 1 million seals over three years, 2004-2006, most of them between 12 days and 12 weeks old. This is the largest kill quota in history, which means that Canada is facilitating the artificial extension of an industry that has ceased to exist in most developed countries.

Canada officially opened its six months commercial seal hunt on November 15, 2004, paving the way for hundreds of thousands of baby seals to be killed for their fur during the 2004-2005 season.

Today, I am joined by Senators COLLINS, LUGAR, REED, LAUTENBERG, FEINSTEIN, JOHNSON, JEFFORDS, WYDEN, CANTWELL, DODD, FEINGOLD, DURBIN, SCHUMER, MURRAY, and DORGAN in submitting a resolution that urges the Government of Canada to end this senseless, inhumane slaughter. Last year, we submitted a similar resolution, which was favorably reported by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Opposition to the seal hunt is mounting. Canada's own people don't support the hunt. Polling shows that 71 percent of Canadians--including 60 percent of Atlantic Canadians--believe the seal hunt should be banned outright or limited to seals over one year of age. Last week, Canada's conservative newspaper, National Post, called for an end to the hunt. In January 2004, the Belgian government announced its intention to prohibit the sale of seal fur; and in November 2003, 166 members of the British House of Commons signed an Early Day Motion opposing Canada's seal hunt. That motion received strong support from Britain's Foreign Office Minister, Mike O'Brien. The American people don't support it either. According to a 2002 poll conducted by Penn, Schoen and Berland, 79 percent of American voters oppose Canada's seal hunt; and the U.S. Government has gone on record in opposition to this senseless slaughter, as noted in the attached, January 19, 2005, letter from the U.S. Department of State, in response to a letter Senator COLLINS and I wrote to President Bush, urging him to raise this issue during his November 30, 2004, visit with Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin.

In 2001, a group of independent veterinarians traveled to observe the seal hunt. What they witnessed was shocking to all who are concerned about the humane treatment of animals. The images are difficult to envision but harder to believe: skinning oflive animals and the dragging of live seals across the ice using steel hooks.

Few would argue that this industry still serves a legitimate purpose. Even in Newfoundland, where 93 percent of the hunt occurs, the economic contribution of the seal hunt is marginal. Exports of seal products from Newfoundland account for less than one-tenth of one percent of the province's total exports. Is that worth the damage the seal hunt causes to Canada's reputation? Out of a population of over half a million people, only about 4,000 Newfoundlanders participate in the hunt. That's a total take home pay of well under $800 per sealer.

Many believe that it makes little sense to continue an industry that only operates for a few weeks a year, in which the concentrated killings takes place. Moreover, it employs only a few hundred people on a seasonal, part-time basis.

The clubbing of baby seals can't be defended or justified, and Canada should end it just as we ended the Alaska baby seal massacre 20 years ago.

I ask unanimous consent that the January 19, 2005, letter from the U.S. State Department be printed in the RECORD.

There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows: