Switzerland to Become 35th Country to Ban Seal-Derived Products
From 1 April 2017, it’ll be illegal to import seal-derived products – including fur, meat, and blubber – into Switzerland. This is a great victory for animals, as tens of thousands of seals are killed every year in Canada’s commercial seal slaughter. Most of these animals are just pups, and they’re viciously bludgeoned to death or shot so that their soft fur can be torn off and sold.
©Sea Sheperd Conservation Society
While there will be some exemptions from this law – including imports of items which come from hunts carried out by indigenous communities – this is a major blow to the commercial seal hunt.
Switzerland joins a long list of countries that have already banned seal-derived products, including the European Union member states, Russia, and the US. As more and more people reject the cruelty of the commercial seal slaughter, the industry is facing a sharp decline in demand. Yet despite huge public and political opposition, the Canadian government still allows the slaughter to take place year after year – and even subsidises it with taxpayer money.
What You Can Do
As Canada prepares to celebrate its 150th birthday, it’s old enough to know better than to allow the barbaric trade to continue. Please sign our petition to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking him to put a stop to this cruelty.
