Sea Shepherd's Defense of Seals

Sea Shepherd's Defense of Seals

written by Heather of thebluewindmill

Wanna Go for a Swim

original gouache painting

by thebluewindmill

Sea Shepherd was established in 1977 as the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and is an “non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization”. Their mission is to end the destruction of “and slaughter of wildlife in the world's oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.”

Their mission is to use “direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas.”

The crew of Sea Shepherd has risked persecution, jail time, and has time and again put their own lives on the line for the preservation of sea mammals.

Part of Sea Shepherd’s fight for Marine Mammals is the fight for the harp seal and specifically the fight against the Canadian government to save the seals.

The Sea Shepherd website spotlights Canadian Seal Slaughter... These are the cold hard facts:

Seal hunting is barbaric and cruel and in 42% of cases seal pups die a slow, tortuous death.

The survival of the species is threatened.

The survival of cod is threatened.

Seals are killed in the name of vain, non-essential luxury items making this act completely immoral and unnecessary.

It is unethical--and horrifying!--to kill newborn seal pups as approximately 95% are pups less than 4 weeks old.

In 2005, Sea Shepherd put the Canadian government on the defensive elevating the plight of the harp seal to “international public and media attention”. Sea Shepherd’s flagship, Farley Mowat, sailed to the Eastern Canadian Ice Floes. Eleven of the crew members were arrested for filming “seal killers” without government permission. Despite the Canadian government’s attempts at prevention, Sea Shepherd broke their way through the ice floes and was able “to block and annoy the sealers”.

Acting as the world’s conscience, Sea Shepherd debunked the lies of the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, such as statement that “seals are killed humanely”, which was proven otherwise by Sea Shepherd’s documentation.

The Canadian government states they do not “subsidize the ‘hunt’”. Sea Shepherd has witnessed firsthand the Canadian Coast Guard leading sealing ships through the ice floes toward the seal nurseries.

You can visit “The Parade of Fools” for more information: http://www.seashepherd.org/news-and-media/news-050401-2.html.

Another plan to help the seals is called the Seal of Approval Campaign.

It has two parts:

1. Sea Shepherd asks “individuals around the world to refrain from buying Canadian seafood from restaurants or grocery stores until the slaughter of harp seals is ended.“

2. Sea Shepherd recruits restaurants, hotels, and food distributors to agree to not sell or serve Canadian seafood until the slaughter of harp seals is ended.”

Sea Shepherd plans to keep pressuring the government and bringing this issue to worldwide attention until the killing stops.

For more information on Sea Shepherd's boycott proposals, click the following link: http://www.seashepherd.org/seals/boycott.html

Sea Shepherd wants you to know that you can make a difference. We all can !

Here's what they suggest:

 Boycott Canadian Seafood

 Write to Politicians

 Write to Companies

 Contact Media

 Involve Friends & Family

 Donate to Sea Shepherd

For more information click the following link: http://www.seashepherd.org/seals/what-you-can-do.html

Information was obtained from the Sea Shepherd website at http://www.seashepherd.org/seals/.

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SEA SHEPHERD IS

TEAM EFA'S NOVEMBER COTM

"Established in 1977, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organization. Our mission is to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world's oceans in order to conserve and protect ecosystems and species.

Sea Shepherd uses innovative direct-action tactics to investigate, document, and take action when necessary to expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. By safeguarding the biodiversity of our delicately-balanced ocean ecosystems, Sea Shepherd works to ensure their survival for future generations."