After years of denying that the hakapik and the club were inhumane, the Canadian government in a desperate attempt to appease European legislators has decided to restrict the use of both weapons.
The Canadian government is also now demanding that the sealers ensure that they kill the seals before skinning them; something they have also long denied is done.
The European Parliament has voted to propose a ban on all seal products that originate from any inhumane hunt.
Fisheries Minister Gail Shea is now denying that these changes are nothing more than "tweaks" to existing regulations and that Canada has no intention of shutting down the annual slaughter of hundreds of thousands of seal pups every year.
Canada also intends to budget more funds to defend the seal killers on the ice from interference by hunt opponents.
The DFO report also estimates how much it would cost to implement the proposed restrictions: $1.8 million to $3.6 million. That amount would include increased costs to sealers and local coast guard crews.
"There is no humane way to kill a seal," said Captain Paul Watson. "The more civilized elected representatives in Europe are not going to be hood-winked by continued Canadian propaganda about how "humane" the slaughter is. Anyone with half a brain need only witness the killing to see for themselves how despicably cruel the killing is. That is why cameras and video documentation of the killing is illegal. The government does not want the public to see what is going on out there on the ice every year."
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