Canadians Fight Back

[Nina~ 431]

Canada Parliament eats seal to defy "ignorant" EU

By David Ljunggren – Wed Mar 10, 3:35 pm ET

OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canadian parliamentarians tucked into a meal of seal meat on Wednesday to defy both animal right activists and the European Union, which has banned imports of seal products.

Some two dozen guests, surrounded on all sides by media, crammed into a small room off the main parliamentary restaurant to hear speeches backing the annual hunt off Canada's East Coast, which the EU says is inhumane.

"This support begins on the plates of Canadians," said federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea as she prepared to eat three small medallions of double-smoked bacon-wrapped seal loin in a port reduction.

The EU imposed its ban last year after a decades-long fight by what Shea called "misguided and mean-spirited" anti-seal-hunt activists. The seals are either shot or hit over the head with a spiked club called a hakapik, which critics say is cruel.

All of Canada's major political parties say they are in favour of the hunt, which takes place on ice floes in March and April.

"The Europeans simply don't know what they're talking about. Since time began human beings have lived with animals and they have culled animals," said Michael Ignatieff, leader of the main opposition Liberal Party.

He spoke at an earlier reception where waiters passed through the room carrying platters of seal terrine snacks. Ignatieff ate several for the benefit of photographers.

"It tastes delicious, actually. It's a meaty taste, a little gamy," he declared.

The meal was arranged by Liberal Senator Celine Hervieux-Payette, who said the hunt provided income for fishing communities in the Atlantic.

"We're sending a message to the European parliamentarians ... we want to say something so that opponents do not take to the floor with lies," she told reporters.

The EU ban has slashed demand for seal furs, meat and oil. Poor weather conditions and a lack of ice mean this year's hunt could be scrapped.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

lol, now that's an interesting thing to do.

Though, the poor seals!

To each his own on what they want to hunt, but that's one animal I couldn't personally go after....

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

I'd rather eat his wife.

[scandal 951]

I'd rather eat his wife.

Oh, Zsuzsanna, oh don't you cry for me...

(you wanna eat HER? really? )

[IR5FORMUMSIE 850]

Oh, Zsuzsanna, oh don't you cry for me...

(you wanna eat HER? really? )

I like the crazy ones.

[Revenesque 2]

Seal hunt is no different than deer hunt. Just because the baby seals are cute, the activist are besides themselves protesting.

Much ado about nothing.

[luckytxn 2,263]

Wonder what seal tastes like. Now I am hungry.

[CDAgirlMI 51]

I remember a long while back when Paul McCartney was on Larry King with his peg leg wife (at the time) saying how they should stop the seal hunt in Canada.....

What a fking moron.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I remember a long while back when Paul McCartney was on Larry King with his peg leg wife (at the time) saying how they should stop the seal hunt in Canada.....

What a fking moron.

Hey now, don't disrespect Sir Paul. You can disagree with his views, but he's one of the greatest living legends of all time.

[natty bumppo 289]

Hey now, don't disrespect Sir Paul. You can disagree with his views, but he's one of the greatest living legends of all time in his own mind

[one...two...tree 2,762]

You're the kind of John Birch Society loving nerd who thought Beatles music was too vulgar, so no surprise there.

[scandal 951]

I like the crazy ones.

She's a wild one all right. Ignatieff would make for an interesting PM. A name no one will be able to spell or pronounce.

[natty bumppo 289]

You're the kind of John Birch Society loving nerd who thought Beatles music was too vulgar, so no surprise there.

how typical ... i make a comment about paul mccartney ... and you make a school yard attempt to insult me.

... guess pauls career didn't have the wings to be more than a beatle (btw: the beatles had more members than just paul)

[one...two...tree 2,762]

how typical ... i make a comment about paul mccartney ... and you make a school yard attempt to insult me.

... guess pauls career didn't have the wings to be more than a beatle (btw: the beatles had more members than just paul)

If you throw sand in a sandbox, you're going to get sand in your mouth.

What, you can't respect Paul McCartney without agreeing with his views? John Lennon was even more radical than Paul. Which one fits into your John Birch Society standard of goodness?

[scandal 951]

If you throw sand in a sandbox, you're going to get sand in your mouth.

What, you can't respect Paul McCartney without agreeing with his views? John Lennon was even more radical than Paul. Which one fits into your John Birch Society standard of goodness?

Come on my brothers, let's sing together:

"ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE! LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED!"