Every year the Canadian government gives a go-ahead for the annual seal slaughter which is held off the coast of Newfoundland, where sealers are sent to shoot and bludgeon to death the lives of helpless and terrified baby seals.

What first started out as a tradition based off respect for these creatures and the need for survival by Native Canadians; who used the seals fur,meat,and bones, has turned into a commercial exploitation driven by greed and a ceaseless desire for profits from the unnecessary luxury of their fur.

About 95% of the seals who are killed are just 3 weeks to 3 months old. This cruel and barbaric act consists of:

• Beating seals to death with a long stick containing a hooked blade.
• Because of the sealers inaccuracy; seals who are harshly wounded by the shot of the gun escape into the water, where they die a slow and agonizing death.
• Sealers use a hook to drag wounded seals onto the boat, despite regulations against doing so on conscious seals.
• An analysis by a group of veterinarians showed 40% of seals who are skinned are still alive.

Canadians and people across the world are appalled by the seal hunt. Global markets such as the United Nations, the European union, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Mexico have all banned the trade in products from commercial seal hunts. 

Although, despite the decreasing demand and dying market for seal pelt, the Canadian government continues to allow the hunt to go on, which means continuing to use an outrageous amount of taxpayer dollars and government funds, where if a federal buyout was made sealers would be paid a fair amount of money to give up their sealing licences, money would be saved and economic alternatives would be made.  

Sign and share this petition, and urge Prime Minister Stephen Harper to end the cruel slaughter and restore Canada's dignity.