Press Releases

European Union bans the sale of seal products

Mon, 4 May 2009 00:00:00 PST

(Brussels, Belgium – 5 May 2009) –The European Parliament today voted 550 to 49 in favour of a ban on the trade of all seal products within the EU. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW – www.ifaw.org) applauded the decision as a significant victory in IFAW’s 40 year campaign to end Canada’s commercial seal hunt. The ban will forbid the sale of seal products for profit within the EU with an exception for Inuit and other indigenous peoples.

No market for pelts overshadows expanded seal hunt quota

Wed, 8 Apr 2009 00:00:00 PST

(Ottawa, Canada – 8 April 2009) -As Canada’s commercial seal hunt is set to re-open in the Gulf of St. Lawrence today with another 64,000 pups scheduled for slaughter, IFAW welcomes the news that many sealers may not participate in this year’s hunt due to the lack of markets for seal fur.

Canadian Senator Mac Harb observes seal hunt and renews his effort to end it

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:00:00 PST

(Ottawa, Canada – 29 March 2009) – Senator Mac Harb has returned from witnessing this year’s commercial seal hunt along with observers from IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare –www.ifaw.org) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Canada’s 2009 commercial seal hunt opens today – the world watches as 280,000 baby seals are set to die

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 PST

(Charlottetown, Canada – 23 March 2009) – A team of observers with IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare – www.ifaw.org) is ready to document the commercial seal hunt as it opens in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada.

First section of Canada’s commercial seal hunt closes – over 17,200 seals killed in just over two days

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 PST

(Charlottetown, PEI, Canada – 25 March 2009) – Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) will close the first zone of the seal hunt today after the earliest group of sealers killed 17,200 harp seals thus far. DFO is set to re-open the hunt in another area of the Gulf this Friday.

Canadian government sanctions the slaughter of 280,000 harp seal pups – but where will the pelts go?

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:00:00 PST

(Ottawa, Canada – 20 March, 2009) — Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has released this year’s total allowable catch (TAC) for harp seals despite a lack of demand worldwide for seal fur. Experts with IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare – www.ifaw.org) are appalled that the Canadian government is persisting with the commercial seal hunt in spite of dwindling international markets.

Extraordinary victory for seals: Russia bans the hunt for all harp seals less than one year of age

Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:00 PST

(Moscow, Russia – 18 March, 2009) — Today, Yuriy Trutnev, Russia’s Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology announced a complete ban on the hunting of all harp seals less than one year of age. This historic end to Russia’s harp seal hunt was applauded by IFAW (The International Fund for Animal Welfare – www.ifaw.org), which has been working in Canada and throughout the world to put an end to commercial seal hunts.

Canadian Senator introduces groundbreaking legislation to end the commercial seal hunt

Tue, 3 Mar 2009 00:00:00 PST

(Ottawa, Canada – 3 March, 2009) — The International Fund for Animal Welfare has applauded a private member’s bill introduced today by Senator Mac Harb calling for an end to Canada’s commercial seal hunt. This marks the first time a Canadian politician has introduced legislation to put an end to the largest remaining marine mammal slaughter in the world.

European seal import ban a step closer after crucial EU vote

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 00:00:00 PST

(Brussels, Belgium – 2 March, 2009) — The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW – www.ifaw.org) has welcomed a key European Parliament vote in favor of a ban on the import of seal products to the EU.

Small victory for seals: Russia moves towards banning baby seal hunt

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:00:00 PST

(Moscow, Russia – February 27, 2009) — Russian ministers announced a complete ban on the hunt for “whitecoat harp” seals (pups up to about 11 days old) as the first step in an agreement to end the killing of all baby seals.

IFAW Congratulates the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador on Projected Budget Surplus

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:00:00 PST

(Ottowa, Canada – 10 December 2008) — Today’s announcement of a proposed ban on the trade in seal products in the European Union has been cautiously welcomed by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) as a potential milestone in its founding campaign to end the cruel Canadian commercial seal hunt - but IFAW is concerned that loopholes in the legislation could still allow seal products from this cruel hunt to enter European markets.

IFAW cautiously welcomes EU ban on seal products but warns that exemptions could allow cruelty to continue

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PST

(Brussels – 23 July 2008) – Today’s announcement of a proposed ban on the trade in seal products in the European Union has been cautiously welcomed by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) as a potential milestone in its founding campaign to end the cruel Canadian commercial seal hunt - but IFAW is concerned that loopholes in the legislation could still allow seal products from this cruel hunt to enter European markets.

Rapid response saves adult Gray Seal in Cape Cod

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 PST

(Yarmouth Port, MA – 23 July 2008) – The Cape Cod Stranding Network, a Project of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (CCSN-IFAW) and the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies (PCCS) disentangled a 600 lb gray seal that was swimming just offshore at Nauset Beach in Orleans today.

\"Humane\" claims by Canadian delegation in Europe refuted by new video evidence from seal hunt

Fri, 4 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PST

(Ottawa, Canada – 4 April 2008) – As Canadian government officials continue a European tour in attempt to forestall an EU ban on seal products, IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare – www.ifaw.org) released new video evidence refuting the government’s claims that the humaneness of Canada’s commercial seal hunt has improved.

Canada's 2008 commercial seal hunt starts today – 275,000 harp seal pups are targeted for slaughter

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PST

(Charlottetown, Canada – 28 March 2008) –A team of observers with IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare – www.ifaw.org) is set to document the commercial seal hunt as it opens today in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada.

IFAW documents hunting activity on opening day of Canada’s commercial seal hunt – new bleeding requirement ignored

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PST

(Charlottetown, PEI, Canada – 28 March 2008) – Observers with IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare – www.ifaw.org) have just returned after witnessing the first slaughter of harp seal pups during this year’s commercial seal hunt.

Cruelty to continue under ‘new’ Canadian seal hunt regulations

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PST

(Charlottetown, PEI, Canada – 27 March 2008) – Today, experts with IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare – www.ifaw.org) denounced the Canadian government’s claims that a new condition of license will improve the humaneness of Canada’s commercial seal hunt. The so-called ‘new’ regulations make no real changes to the way seals can be killed. They simply call for bleeding to be conducted at some point, “where possible” or even after the seal is finally brought onto the deck of a sealing vessel.

Canadian government calls for the killing of 275,000 harp seal pups despite dwindling markets and international outcry

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PST

(Ottawa, Canada - 10 March 2008) - Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has once again decided to ignore scientific advice by setting the total allowable catch (TAC) for harp seals well above what the population can sustain. Conservationists around the world and experts with IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare – www.ifaw.org) are appalled that the Canadian government has seen fit to actually increase the quota despite scientific evidence that the population is in decline.

Extraordinary victory for harp seals: Russia moves towards banning the whitecoat hunt

Wed, 5 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PST

(Moscow, Russia – 5 March 2008) – Today, Oleg Trutnev, Russia’s Minister of Natural Resources drafted a letter requesting the government to bring a full stop to Russia’s hunt for newborn whitecoat harp seals less than three weeks old. This first step in halting Russia’s harp seal hunt was applauded by IFAW (The International Fund for Animal Welfare – www.ifaw.org), which has been working in Canada and throughout the world to put an end to commercial seal hunts.

International Fund for Animal Welfare Report Reveals Impact of Global Warming on Arctic Marine Mammals

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

Washington, D.C. (January 17, 2008) —Today the International Fund for Animal Welfare (www.ifaw.org) released On Thin Ice: The Precarious State of Arctic Marine Mammals in the United States Due to Global Warming, a comprehensive report commissioned to gauge the effects of unprecedented climate change on polar bears and other ice-dependent marine mammals within the United States.