This video is about the life of a baby harp seal.
From Wildlife Extra:
Italian authorities seize goods made from seal skin from luxury Italian footwear company
Humane Society International congratulates Italian authorities for seizure of illegal seal products
March 2013. Acting on a complaint made by Humane Society International (HSI) in February 2013, the Italian State Forestry Department carried out a raid on the clothing manufacturer, Creative Ltd (owner of the brand HICE Footwear), seizing 90 sealskins and more than 100 pairs of shoes made from harp seal fur.
“We urge the Italian authorities to prosecute and penalise this company to the fullest extent of the law,” said Joanna Swabe HSI/EU director. “Not only has this company apparently been flagrantly flouting EU law on trade in seal products, but they also went so far as to try to hoodwink consumers by claiming that these products were certified as being compliant with the EU legislation.”
EU ban on seal products
In 2009, the EU adopted a ban on commercial seal products in response to widespread public opposition to the cruelty inherent in international seal slaughters. The EU ban allows, in principle, for the import of seal products resulting from traditional subsistence hunts by Inuit or other indigenous communities. Though the company claimed that the products originated in Greenland, as of yet there is no recognised entity in Greenland, which has been recognised by the EU to attest to the origin of seal products and certify products accordingly.
HSI urges all EU Member States to ensure that this legislation has been properly implemented and enforced.
This Italian seizure is the first known case of illegal seal products being seized by a Member State authority since the legislation entered into force. HSI calls on the European Commission to ensure that other Member States follow the Italian example to guarantee that these products of animal cruelty are not being placed on the EU market.
Humane Society International congratulates the Italian authorities for taking swift action to investigate a company suspected of placing illegal seal products on the European Union market.
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Reblogged this on Imbuteria's Blog.
I equate the illegal seal hunt with the removal of shark fins – completely without conscience, and despicable. That said, my brother makes his living as a trapper. He has a massive trap line in the interior of B.C.I admire his way of life, and the code of ethics he lives by. He lives off the land, can witch for water with astounding accuracy, and respects the world.