Giant ‘Seal’ Wants to Speak With Canadian PM Stephen Harper
Anyone walking past the Canadian Embassy in London last week could not have failed to notice a giant “seal” standing outside the main entrance holding a sign that read, “Harper: Stop the Seal Slaughter”, in protest of Canada’s annual seal massacre.
The protest was timed to coincide with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s visit to London to meet with newly appointed British Prime Minister David Cameron.
During the slaughter, tens of thousands of baby seals are bludgeoned to death whilst other pups destined to suffer the same fate look on helplessly. Sealers often use their hakapik to hook these defenceless babies in the eyes, cheeks or mouth to avoid damaging the animals’ fur. They then drag the seals across the ice to be skinned, sometimes whilst the animals are still conscious.
Canada’s seal slaughter – the largest massacre of marine mammals on Earth – faces overwhelming global condemnation. The European Union and the US have both banned the import and sale of seal products, and leading figures such as US President Barack Obama have spoken out against the massacre. 
With the value of seal pelts plummeting because of the international rejection of this violent industry, it’s time that Prime Minister Harper put an end to the bloody seal slaughter and to the damage that it continues to inflict on Canada’s reputation. Until that day, PETA and our affiliates will make sure a giant seal will continue to follow Harper wherever he goes, serving as a constant and shameful reminder of the blood on his hands.
