Canada’s annual commercial seal hunt is set to begin this month amidst global protests led by IFAW – the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

For the past decade Fred O’Regan, IFAW’s president, traveled the world to safeguard everything from Africa’s elephants to North America’s right whales.

"It’s important for us all to preserve and protect the world’s dwindling animal species. Not just today, but for generations to come," says O’Regan.

Canada’s annual commercial seal hunt has claimed more than 1 million seals over the last three years alone.

"Canadian government continues to license the commercial hunting of baby seals as young as 12-days old. This cruel and outdated hunt is an unnecessary black mark on Canada’s environmental record. Starting this week, more than 300,000 seals will be clubbed to death. It’s an appalling sight."

Canadian government announced that it is still pushing ahead with one of the highest quotas ever for killing harp seal pups.

The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ Minister Loyola Hearn released a one-year Total Allowable Catch (TAC) that allows 335,000 seals to be killed this year.

“Sadly, Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservatives are playing the same dangerous politics with our wildlife, following in the Liberals’ misguided footsteps. We hoped they would take a more intelligent, conservative approach to the conservation of our marine environment,” says Olivier Bonnet, IFAW Canada director.

Recent polling shows that the majority of Canadians are opposed to the seal hunt, and yet they are being forced to pay for it through ongoing government subsidies.

A 2005 poll found that 69% of Canadians were opposed to the commercial seal hunt, and a further 77% were opposed to it being subsidized.

IFAW urges everyone to get involved and take action today.


IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) was founded in 1969, and by this day IFAW works around the globe to protect animals and their habitats and to create a better world for animals and people. To learn how to help, please visit www.ifaw.org. 

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