If like me you thought that bludgeoning baby seals to death was something that ended years ago, then think again: this year over 60,000 harp seal pups were slaughtered, and the figure would have been five times larger if fear of a European Union ban on seal products had not led many fishermen to stay at home (source: http://www.harpseals.org/).
Local members of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals - http://www.petaasiapacific.com/) staged an eye-catching protest today outside the Collins Street office of the Consulate of Canada. Quite possibly it went unremarked by the occupants, but it was a different matter with lunchtime passers-by.
If you have a strong stomach and would like to get some idea of why people are protesting, try this short video on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMiUnqaVRtQ
From the group's media release:
Five People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Australia members – covered head to toe in red and white paint – will form a giant Canadian flag with their bodies and hold a skimpy banner reading, "Stop the Bloody Seal Slaughter", at the Consulate of Canada in Melbourne on Friday. The protest is the latest action in PETA's campaign to focus the world's attention on Canada's shame during the run-up to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.
Sealers shoot these animals or bash their heads in, and baby seals are often skinned alive while their wailing mothers helplessly watch. This year, three-fourths of the nearly 300,000 harp seals expected to be killed were spared, in part because the price of seal fur has plummeted as the international outrage against the seal slaughter rises. The European Union and the US have banned seal products, and world leaders – including bear-hunting Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin – have spoken out against the massacre.
"The universally condemned harp seal slaughter is a bloody stain on Canada's reputation", says PETA Australia Director of Campaigns Jason Baker. "As the world turns its attention to Canada's Games, millions will also focus on Canada's shame."
More info: http://www.petaasiapacific.com/
