Each year, sealers kill hundreds of thousands of seal pups in commercial slaughters. Shot or clubbed to death mainly for their fur, they die cruelly. Some are left wounded and suffering, and others, skinned alive. HSI campaigns in particular against commercial seal slaughter in Canada and Namibia.
Canada's annual commercial harp seal hunt is the largest slaughter of marine mammals on Earth. Sealing is an off-season activity for fishermen who typically earn only a fraction of their incomes from it. Seals are not overpopulated, nor are they jeopardizing the Canadian cod fishery. Seal product trade bans and HSI's Canadian seafood boycott are increasing pressure to end the hunt. HSI supports a government license buyout for fishermen and promotion of ecotourism.
In Namibia, tens of thousands of Cape fur seal pups are killed annually; but economic alternatives could bring far more money to local communities than commercial sealing does.
News & Events
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August 30, 2010
EU Seal Product Trade Ban "Hold" Explained
In summer 2010, a group of commercial and Inuit sealing interests jointly filed a request to suspend the EU seal product trade ban temporarily until a larger court case could be resolved.
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August 20, 2010
HSI Canada Statement on Temporary Suspension of EU Seal Product Trade Ban
The European Court of Justice temporarily suspended the European Union prohibition on seal product trade in response to an application by certain Inuit and seal industry groups.
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August 19, 2010
EU Seal Product Trade Ban Takes Effect
The European Union ban on trade in seal products from commercial hunts formally entered into force on August 20, 2010.
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July 19, 2010
Israel Fur Trade Ban Wins Support
Proposals for a ban on fur trade in Israel gathers international support.



