Pie Lands on Fisheries Minister's Face

Gail Shea's Defence of Seal Slaughter Draws Pudding Protest

For Immediate Release:
January 25, 2010

Contact:
Lindsay Rajt 757-622-7382

Burlington, Ontario -- As Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Gail Shea spoke at the Aquatic Life Research Facility in Burlington this morning, she was greeted by a PETA member who lobbed a tofu cream pie at her while shouting, "Shame on Shea; stop the slaughter of seals!" The action was carried out in support of PETA's campaign to stop the government's ill-advised sanction of the seal slaughter, an annual event that has been condemned internationally. A photo of the incident is available here. 

The PETA member targeted Shea because she defends the indefensible slaughter in an apparent attempt to curry favour with the commercial fishing industry. And while admitting that she has never personally witnessed how badly the seals die, she has no qualms about calling the slaughter humane. Shea also advocated using seal fur in her country's 2010 Winter Olympic team's uniforms--an item of clothing that will bring the team ridicule and disdain and distract from its achievements.

"A little tofu pie on her face is hardly comparable to the blood on Ms. Shea's hands," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "It's time for the Canadian government to recognize that the commercial fishing industry is environmentally devastating and out of step with people's evolved attitudes toward animals-- and to end this national disgrace."

The U.S. and, more recently, the European Union have taken strong action to recognize the cruelty of the annual seal massacre and have banned the importation of seal fur, so no economic justification exists for the slaughter to continue. Commercial seal hunting has drawn opposition from world leaders as diverse as President Barack Obama, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, and His Holiness The Dalai Lama.

Please click here to see video footage of the Canadian seal slaughter. Broadcast-quality footage of the slaughter is available upon request.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.