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Speaking out against violence against seals, celebrities gathered in Los Angeles yesterday to hold an emergency conference to discuss efforts to be made against the upcoming annual Canadian Seal Hunt. Emily Deschanel of Bones, Reggie Lee of Prison Break and many more took part in the conference, lending their support to the Humane Society.
“These seals cannot speak for themselves,” commented Deschanel, “so someone has to speak for them!”
The celebrities gathered in Los Angeles’ Real Food Daily to discuss this issue, as well as global warming and the detrimental effects it’s been having on the seal population. Now, I’m not really a very political-minded individual (I’m pretty much aware how uninformed I am, thankyouverymuch), but saving seals seems like a pretty decent notion and so I’m for it. Yeah!
(WENN)
For more information on what you can do for the seals, visit www.protectseals.org.
Read the complete press release after the jump…
CELEBRITIES HOLD EMERGENCY CONFERENCE REGARDING THE DISAPEARING LIVES OF SEALS
Canadian Seal Hunt 2007, to start ANY day now!
Celebrities from various hit TV Shows, including Emily Deschanel of Bones, Reggie Lee of Prison Break and many more, gathered today in Los Angeles to hold an emergency conference regarding the annual Canadian Seal Hunt that is set to start any day now. The conference also discussed global warming and the effects that it is having on the population of seals. “These seals cannot speak for themselves,” commented Deschanel, “so someone has to speak for them!”
Top members of the Humane Society of the United States also joined in the celebrity discussion via a conference call live from Canada where they are working actively to try and prevent the 2007 hunt. Pat Ragan; Director of the Protect Seals Campaign, Rebecca Aldworth; Director of Canadian Wildlife Issues and Dr. John Grandy; Senior Vice President of Wildlife were all present to thank the celebrities for joining with them to help stop the hunt and to help spread the word to the rest of the world about what measures need to be taken to put an end to the cruel and worsening issue in Canada.
As was coordinated last year with Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills, the HSUS had originally planned to visit the ice in Canada for a press conference with Emily Deschanel. Because of the effects of global warming, the HSUS was unable to bring Deschanel to the seal location, a result of the dangerous conditions that make it impossible to stand upon the ice that has melted earlier than normal. Despite their busy filming schedules, Deschanel and other entertainers called for an emergency conference at Real Food Daily restaurant in Los Angeles, California.
Along with the hundreds of thousands of seals that die each year from the seal hunt, it is believed that hundreds of thousands of even more seal pups have recently passed from drowning in the melted ice caused by global warming. 97% of seals that are killed in the hunt are under 3-months-old, and the seals that drown in the melted ice are also pups that are not yet old enough to survive in the water. But still, the Canadian government will allow the seal hunt to go ahead, and seal hunters will club and shoot to death hundreds of thousands of the surviving seal pups to produce fur coats.
stolidog | March 29, 2007 at 3:42 pm
the seal hunt is repugnant, as is the dolphin hunt in Japan.
fur is foul.
stanley | March 29, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Fur IS foul, completely right! Who in their right mind wants to put on a fur? I dont get it; even my grandmother wont wear them anymore.
Sasha | March 29, 2007 at 4:00 pm
See i dont care about hunting just dont make anything extinct. What does amuse me is the hypocrisy. Theyll be like animals feel but they dont no about darfur or anything else its like what about humans. PLants fell they respond to stimulii why do you eat them. What about the humans who sold their hair to feed their families and your whims. THen tehyll be pro abortiion
nanners | March 29, 2007 at 4:16 pm
None of these bitches owns a leather bag or shoes? They are only at this thing because the widdle seals are cute and a starving inner city child not so much.
East Coast Canadian | March 29, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Coming from the east coast of canada I have to tell all of the ignorant people out there that they are being misled by manipulative animal rights groups. For one thing, to kill seal pups, which we call “white coats” is illegal. Also, those seals are killed as humanely as possible. The so-called “hak-a-piks” are also illegal and have been for over 20 years. Another thing: there are approximately 6 million seals on the ice of the Atlantic from Newfoundland to Greenland. An annual quota of 300,000 seals isn’t enough to cause severe damage to the seal numbers. As it stands, the seals are reproducing at a rate that the environment can’t handle. By allowing the seal population to continue to expand at such a high rate,the fish stocks on which they survive, which are also decreasing, will not support them. In essence, the seals are starving to death and will continue to do so. Is it because seals are “cute” that there is so much outrage around the world? What about saving the cattle that are raised for beef? The millions of chickens slaughtered every year? Again, the public is being manipulated by these “animal rights” groups. Every part of each seal killed is used- their meat, blubber, fins, fur. So please, make sure you’re well informed before giving in to the misleading images fed to you by these groups. I am a huge supporter of animal rights, but I make my opinions and actions based on the truth.
stolidog | March 29, 2007 at 5:03 pm
animals don’t need to be slaughtered to maintain some fake sense of equilibrium with the environment. nature takes care of that, animals don’t need hooks, knives and guns to do it.
It is a lie to say that every part of the seals are used. What is not fur is only used to feed the pet industry. Not human consumption.
Clubbing a seal pup is not humane.
handbags and belts come from animals slaughtered for their meat. it’s the ultimate tired argument to equate fur (from seals, foxes, mink, etc) with a leather handbag. they have ZERO in common.
And an argument that plants can in some bizarre way be equated to the seal slaughter only serves to underscore the lack of education many young people have today.
Dana | March 29, 2007 at 5:27 pm
Let’s be honest, those from the east coast of Canada blame seals for the cod collapse, but we all know it was the fishing industry and the Canadian government’s impotentence. They over-estimate marine populations for political gain, set unreasonably high quotas, don’t enforce them and then act surprised when fisheries collapse. The Canadian politicians just want the votes of the fishing industry and don’t really care about the health of the ecosytem. History will repeat itself with the seals I’m sure, especially with global warming added to the mix. Thanks to the celebs who are speaking up. Since its some celebs who are partly responsible for the demand for fur, I think it only right for humane-minded celebs to speak out in defense of animals. Hopefully they’ll influence others to skip fur.
animalgrl | March 29, 2007 at 7:17 pm
Those of you who think that this cause isnt worth some attention are ignorant. Animal rights groups DO care about the cattle and ALL of the other animals. That is why they have different people addressing different issues. The people addressing the seal hunt are doing so because it is yet another issue in the inhumane world that needs attention.
Never did any of the animal rights people say that they don’t care about humans, too. In fact I’m sure that people who are humane enough to know that animals deserve rights are more compassionate about people than most of you are. They’re jobs are to stand up for animals and that’s what they’re doing. Unlike humans, animals can’t stand up for theirselves. If there weren’t people like them around, then there would be inhumane slaughter everywhere you looked. Do you really want to see your dog hung up for slaughter in the marketplace? No, I didn’t think so. SO shut your ignorant mouths and grow some compassion!
diana | March 29, 2007 at 7:53 pm
I’m with you animalgrl.. =)
SPARE THEIR LIVES!!!
Canadian too | March 29, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Unbelievable lies are believed by the ignorant every day. It seems only the impression of truth, the sound bite, gore and ugly headlines are understood. Those taken in by the manipulative activists learn regret.
Clubbing pups is illegal – those caught are punished.
The seal carcass is used completely – so what if some is used for non-human consumption – and is 100% ecologically sound. I wonder if any PETA-ite knows where synthetic fabrics come from and the ecological devastation that is causing.
The seal population numbers are not “controlled” or mis-represented by any pro-seal hunt organization. The seal hunt was never, ever in history, used as a means to protect the fish industry.
If someone wants to paint a picture of the Canadian gov’t, flawed as it may be, somehow being the cause of the East Coast fisherie collapse they are more ignorant of the facts than imaginable. What utter nonsense.
Continue “standing up for the animals” – your blissful ignorance of human need in your world speaks far louder than your no-fur chants.
stolidog | March 29, 2007 at 8:21 pm
Canadian = Lies and Distortions.
He or She would be a great addition to President Bush’s team.
There is ZERO excuse for slaughtering seal pups. They are pups, they have not reached maturity. If fact, the reason the seal slaughter is having difficulty starting this year is that global warming has melted the ice and all the pups, that would normally be inhumanely slaughtered, are drowning…BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO YOUNG TO HAVE EVEN LEARNED HOW TO SWIM. They are pups. And they are an intelligent species.
Fur sucks.
Nova Scotian | March 29, 2007 at 8:41 pm
Oh no! It’s this time of year again… The time when quasi-environmentalists try to “stand up for the rights of those who can’t stand up for themselves” just to get a shot in the papers. Puh-lease. They’re just stupid seals, they’re not endangered, and they’re huge pains in the ass. Get over it.
canuckistani | March 29, 2007 at 9:47 pm
My question is who’s going to save us from the stupidity of these bitches??? Never mind the seal pups!
Wendy | March 29, 2007 at 10:17 pm
I can’t stand so-called “animal rights groups.” If you want to speak for those that can’t speak for themselves, why don’t you work at crisis pregnancy centers, and help women who are considering abortion? I think it’s a bigger crime to kill an unborn baby than a stupid seal.
Canadian too | March 30, 2007 at 12:10 am
Stolidog believes Canadian = Lies and Distortion
and the ice caps are gone therefore the seal pups are drowning – those that escape the evil seal pup clubbers that is…
It seems I’ve made my point regarding the senseless and ignorant.
As far as Bush goes, I’m with the Dixie Chicks.
Miranda | March 30, 2007 at 12:54 am
This entire post is like an “Onion” article.
Claudea | March 30, 2007 at 2:18 am
Isn’t it so ironic that those celebrities are all dolled up and gathered in the warm LA weather to preach about the activity of ppl up north who are freezing their ass, trying to make a living doing a legal and very tightly reglemented activity that also happens to provide them with jobs and financial security.
Why don’t these “stars” pick up a valuable cause?!
You know they picked up the seal because its cute!
Shouldn’t they worry about stuff happenning in their own country, like children’s poverty or access to higher education?! If they could put the same effort in something else, it’d be much more productive and worthy.
animal rights hypocrisy | March 30, 2007 at 9:18 am
There are still people in the world who depend on hunting for food, including seals. Overzealous but wellmeaning and manipulated animal rights activists have made it near impossible for those people to continue to live their natural lifestyle in harmony with nature.
It is in our nature to think of “baby” animals as cute and feel protective of them but this is just ridiculous. People in the industrialized world are often so far removed from nature that they don’s realize that the meat they eat comes from an animal. The fact that the animal is cute should not matter.
Americans slaughter turkeys every year, should they not receive the same sympathy as seals?
Betty Covington | March 30, 2007 at 10:20 am
To the East Coast Canadian and the Novia Scotian I say: There is no thinking, compassionate person who could ever tolerate the cruelty in the Canadian seal hunt if they could see it for themselves.
Man’s inhumanity to man is surpassed only by his cruelty to animals.
Mercy to animals means mercy to mankind.
The animal-rights groups are informed, they are right there filming for us all to see!
Carly in Canada | March 30, 2007 at 10:33 am
I am just wondering how some cutesy-event in LA would have any impact on the Canadian Seal Hunt? Posing with stuffed animals and having “discussions” don’t really demand much change… but I guess it’s better than nothing.
Canada rarely gets a mention on Celeb gossip sites (well I guess we do on Canadian ones, but it seems Americans are WAY more entertaining gossips from my experience) so it sucks that it has to portray us as heartless cute-animal killing bastards.
d | March 30, 2007 at 10:56 am
is that the d-bag from prison break??
Babu also in Canada | March 30, 2007 at 11:28 am
Seal hunting is one of the most humane forms of hunting around. The population of seals in Canada is 3 times what it should be and may even pose a threat to the fish stocks. To me, all those starlets don’t know a thing about seals and just crave exposure. Pollution is a much more serious threat to seals than hunting will ever be. Do you know how many planes and helicopters Paul McCartney and his entourage used just to spend a few minutes on the banks? And how much fuel they wasted in doing so? One plane, 6 helicopters and about 25,000 litres of fuel!
Canadian too | March 30, 2007 at 12:01 pm
To Betty Covington I say:
It is incredibly closed minded of you to think I, or other _informed_ posters, haven’t seen it for ourselves… don’t know about it personally.
The seal hunt is one issue in the whole of the East Coast economy. It isn’t pretty. I cannot envision an open abbatoir that would not be a gorey mess in a sheltered area – let alone one on an ice flow.
Are the animal rights activists filming the lives of those involved in the seal hunt? Where are the films of the men and women in crushing desperate circumstance who benefit from the seal hunt? Have these activists produced documentaries and reports on the real issues?
On the contrary, what I have seen from activist groups are gorey sound bites, inflaming and sensational headlines and loathsome trash talk about a people/industry/way of life they care not to understand – or help.
In contrast, what I see from the people who really care about the _lives_ of the _people_ involved in the seal hunt are efforts to stabilize and diversify the economy and resources upon which these _people_ depend.
Effective positive change comes from answers to problems based on understanding.
jodeci78 | March 30, 2007 at 12:25 pm
I wonder where those stuffed animals were made… Because if someone were to pay $9.99 for that thing… well, some corners have to get cut.
Also, I wonder how each ‘celeb’ (and I use that term lightly in this case) got to this event. I wonder how many limo drivers were idling their vehicles with the A/C on.
Then I start to think about how much money they raised, and what percentage of that actually goes to their cause.
Oh, then I think about how well the war is going on in iraq.
Nancy Drew | March 30, 2007 at 1:38 pm
How many seals are killed each season compared to the cattle, pork and chickens that are killed every day?
I’d like for the anti-seal hunt people to go to a slaughterhouse, listen to the screams and then tell us all about how they are now vegetarian and trying to change the meat industry in the US.
Betty | March 30, 2007 at 1:44 pm
You did NOT absorb one thing I stated. It figures, ignorance is bliss.
Nova Scotian | March 30, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Know what the best part if winter is? When the cove freezes over, and the seals come out on it… They’re easier to shoot then.
Betty | March 30, 2007 at 1:53 pm
Perhaps you should be shot too!
stolidog | March 30, 2007 at 4:21 pm
who ARE all you people? Obviously you are on the payroll of the Canadian government, but at what capacity?? You’re like the spokeswhores from Exxon who would have you believe that oil slicks and refinery fires are somehow good for the world.
Nobody believes them, and nobody believes you. You stand right up there with the Vietnamese who skin dogs alive and then say, “mind your own business, it’s a tradition in our country.”
Seal hunting may be a tradition, but that doesn’t make it acceptable.
It’s disgusting.
Canadian too | March 30, 2007 at 7:11 pm
stolidog: First the sealers who rely on their season to make ends meet economically, now the Vietnamese whose culture includes a far more diverse food supply than you can possibly imagine.
This isn’t about right and wrong for you. It’s about likes and dislikes. It’s about being unable to recognize the culture of others and disagree, respectfully, with who they are. If it means making their children hungry I would not take the club from the sealer or the garrote from the Vietnamese. That’s where you and I differ most on this subject.
Betty: my ears and eyes, and heart, are wide open. I am the farthest thing from ignorant with respect to the issues I discuss. The irony of your flippant platitude is not lost on me.
Paul | March 31, 2007 at 9:50 am
A few facts:
1. seals are still pups when they lose their fur, in the case of the “hunt” these pups have not even learned to swim. so killing seal pups is legal.
2. Not all who oppose the seal hunt are animal rights activists nor do all believe everything the same beyond that the hunt is wrong. so making sweeping generalizations is crude rude and inaccurate.
3. There is no scientific proof there is any need whatsoever for a hunt nor is there economic sense in killing seals while allowing foreign fisheries to destroy the local ecosystem and by extension our own fisheries industry.
4. Seals are not the cause of the decline in fish.
5. People do not need to fight every battle for every cause in order to legitamize them. To try is fail them all.
6. To care about seals does not mean you hate humanity.
&. Many fighting to end the seal hunt also do great work for humanity.
8. The government support for the “hunt” is a political one in order to refocus blame for dreadfully poor resource management and to avoid taking responsability for selling our environmental and resource future to offshore foreign fisheries.
9.Insults only degrade those who use them.
10. The “hunt” is not even regulated as the government relies on the responses from participating fishermen in deciding whether the quota has been fullfilled. This quota is also an imaginary number based ona set of statisitics that cannot sufficiently account for the natural fluctuations let alone the true impact of poor ice due to gloabl warming.
11. Whether shot or clubbed, the seal “hunt” is a brutal, archaic activity that has no place in the modern world.
Perrault Ans | August 29, 2007 at 6:31 am
Thank you for those who speak up for seals and all the other animals. Don’t let negative comments get to you. Keep on fighting! Animal Liberation isn’t far away now…
Indeed, many people who are not on the ‘animal rights’ side, think of the seal hunt as cruelty: skinning alive, clubbing to death, etc. There’s no excuse!!!
The Canadian government is lying!!!
One last thing: human and non-human animals are equals! No human’s life is worth more than an animal’s! OK!
Patel | December 24, 2007 at 7:27 pm
Americans should stop eating hamburgers and steaks. You are eating my Hindu grandparents. Hypocrites.
Darcy Steele | March 30, 2008 at 7:57 pm
I always find it curious that those who decry the seal hunt do so from the comfort of suburbia. What right do they have to say what Inuit can and cannot do? You have no right to dictate! The hunt is a very important part of Inuit culture. Inuit have been hunting seals since time immemorial.
If you are truly commited to your cause I would suggest you could come up to my community of Arctic Bay and see what the seal means to the culture here. I’ll even call a cab to pick you up at the airport myself.
See you soon.