Senator Release Nunavut Seal Hunt

SENATE

SÉNAT CANADA

The Honourable Mac Harb

L’honorable Mac Harb

MEDIA RELEASE November 12, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Senator Mac Harb calls for government leadership and support for Nunavut seal hunters. (Ottawa) In the wake of the European Union’s ban on seal products and a global decrease in demand, Nunavut’s seal hunters are getting no help from the federal government. With reported prices for pelts dropping from $70 to as low as $25, Nunavut communities should be getting support from the government says Senator Mac Harb. “The EU clearly exempts products from Aboriginal sealing,” said Senator Harb. “This is a perfect opportunity for the government to secure access to the EU market and ensure that the Inuit community will benefit” but “instead of putting resources and effort into supporting these communities and helping them to market their products, the government is throwing taxpayer’s money at a doomed WTO challenge” said senator Harb. “The government knew the European Union ban on seal products was coming, and it did very little to work with the native communities to help them benefit from the ban exemption granted to them.” Rather than consulting and working with these northern communities, the government used them in its pro-sealing campaigns when it was convenient and it has chosen to ignore their calls for help when it was most needed. Senator Harb, who is strongly opposed to the commercial seal hunt with the exception of the aboriginal hunt, is calling on the government to withdraw its WTO challenge of the EU ban and focus its efforts on supporting the Nunavut industry.

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  For more information, please contact:  The office of the Hon. Mac Harb  376 East Block, Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Canada  1‐613‐996‐2379