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"El Periódico" publishes an article following a press release of Altarriba Foundation dated February 2007.
Published: - El Periodico (Spain - translated), March 25th 2007
NGOs refute Canadian campaign in favour of seal hunt
• Ecologists define as "delirious" to state that hakapik is not cruel.
• They accuse Ottawa of putting pressure on other governments and discredit animal advocates.
The seal war is not only between Canadian hunters and the absolutely disadvantaged polar beasts, in Saint Lawrence, but also between Canadian Government and ecologists from all over the world. The Protect Seals Network has dismantled, one after another, all the arguments of the campaign started by the Canadian Government to justify the killing of near 300.000 seals each year. Activists are specially enraged by Ottawa's arguments stating that the use of hakapik is not a cruelty.
"Knowing all the arguments used by Canada to justify its yearly slaughter, that regarding "humane methods" is the most delirious. No rational head can suppose, not even from afar, that beating seal pups with a stick could be humane in any way", say Luis Luque, director of Altarriba Foundation, a charity member of The Protect Seals Network. This week starts the yearly hunting season and swords are drawn. It seems that the Canadian world offensive to counteract the NGOs' critics will success, but there is no hope either to expect a ban.
NGOs have been exposing the Canadian seal killing for years, and they define the official pamphlet on "myths and realities" as a simple advertising attempt. Ottawa ensures no babies are killed; NGOs say it is true only for "whitecoats" pups under 12 days, however the regulations allow hunters to kill "all and every one over that age": Approximately 97 percent of the seals killed in the commercial seal hunt over the past three years have been younger than 3 months, and most were younger than 1 month old. Ottawa affirms that hunting is essential for economy in that area; NGOs state that only 5% of yearly incomes come from that activity. Ottawa maintains that animals do not suffer; NGOs ask why, then, police do the outmost to avoid witnesses and images. So in the end there is just one question. Who says the truth?
INTERNATIONAL OFFENSIVE
"Canadian Government has started an international offesnive in two fronts -the charity says-. To put pressure on governements and to discredit those NGOs who, for years, have criticized its seal killing and its dreadful environmental policy in an especially sensitive area". The Protect Seals Network defines as "pure obstinacy" the attitude of Canadian Government, and applauds those steps taken by Belgium and United Kingdom to ban seal products in their countries.
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