Canadian Prime Minister to Face Flak From PETA 'Seal' in St. Stephen and Saint John

Shame of Seal Slaughter Clouds Harper's Visit to New Brunswick

For Immediate Release:
January 8, 2010

Contact:
Emily Lavender 757-622-7382

St. Stephen and Saint John, New Brunswick -- As the whale wars heat up in the Antarctic, PETA continues seal wars in New Brunswick.  Holding signs reading, "Harper: Stop the Seal Slaughter," a PETA member wearing a seal costume will trail Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper while he's in St. Stephen and Saint John for a roundtable meeting. The "seal" will appear outside the meetings today:

When:   Friday, January 8, 1:30 p.m.

Where:  Canada Border Services Agency, St. Stephen Port of Entry, Third Bridge, 20 St. Stephen Dr., St. Stephen, New Brunswick 

AND

When:   Friday, January 8, 5:30 p.m.

Where:  Delta Brunswick, 39 King St., Saint John, New Brunswick

"The seal slaughter is a bloody stain on Canada's reputation, and Prime Minister Harper can't escape that stain no matter where he goes," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "PETA's 'spokesseal' won't give up until the slaughter is stopped once and for all."

PETA wants Harper to use his influence to end Canada's annual seal slaughter, the largest massacre of marine mammals on Earth. During the slaughter, tens of thousands of baby seals have their heads bashed in or are shot. Sealers hook baby seals in the eyes, cheeks, or mouth to avoid damaging their fur. They then drag them across the ice, often while the animals are still conscious. Many of the seals are too young to swim away from their attackers and are killed as their wailing mothers watch and mourn.

The commercial seal slaughter is an off-season profit venture for the fishing industry, and it accounts for less than 1 percent of Newfoundland's economy. It is not a subsistence activity for native peoples. Inuit sealing accounts for only about 3 percent of the slaughter. The European Union and the U.S. have banned seal products, and world leaders--including U.S. President Barack Obama, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and His Holiness The Dalai Lama--have spoken out against the carnage.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.