Seals Spared During Hunt

The 2009 seal hunt season is over, and about three-fourths of the animals slated to be bludgeoned were spared. More than 300,000 seals were scheduled for the hunt this year but only about 72,000 seal pups have been reported killed. The low number is being attributed to a decrease in the price of seal fur as demand drops and a European Union-wide ban on the import of seal products from commercial hunts—so far, 30 countries have banned seal products. The EU decided to ban seal products because of the cruelty involved in the hunt. With any luck, it’s a blow from which the seal trade won’t recover.