ARAN Supporters Urge Irish MEP's to Support Crucial EU Vote

dublin | animal rights | news report

Wednesday March 11, 2009 20:25

by Stephan Wymore - Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN)

arancampaigns at eircom dot net

On March 10th more than 50 ARAN members and supporters came and went during our lively lunchtime demonstration outside the EU Parliament offices in Dublin to urge Irish MEP’s to support an upcoming vote for a ban on seal ‘products’ from Canada into Europe. The aim of the demonstration was also to raise vital awareness of the campaign to passersby and members of the public. Tons of leaflets, bumper stickers and posters were distributed to educate and raise further awareness. As with all of ARAN’s work, we strive to ensure education is our primary focus.

During the event, ARAN members and supporters held banners and placards depicting images of seals been skinned whilst chanting, ‘shame on Canada, save the seals’ and ‘shame on Canada, stop the blood slaughter’. During the event, an ARAN supporter held our body screen TV that screened footage of Canada’s 2007 seal hunt—passersby, including school children saw exactly what the Canadian government is desperate to hide, the brutal slaughter they call a ‘harvest’. Next up was our trip to the Canadian Embassy on Baggot Street Bridge—as the demonstration outside the EU offices was finishing up and people where returning back to work, school, college ect, 20 supporters then marched on the street with placards and a megaphone chanting all the ways to the Canadian embassy ‘shame on Canada, save the seals’ and holding signs reading ‘stop the bloody slaughter’. We then held once again another lively and loud peaceful demonstration directly outside the Canadian embassy where four supporters then entered the Canadian embassy reception politely requesting to speak with the Canadian ambassador. Whilst in the reception, footage from Canada’s seal hunt was been shown. Shortly after, an ARAN representative held a 10 minute meeting the Irish Canadian ambassador to Ireland Patrick Binns.

Please contact the Canadian embassy in Dublin and voice your concern, contact ARAN for more details.

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Socialist Victory Bans the Use of Seal Products in the EU.

by PES activists Dublin - Party of European Socialists

Thu Mar 12, 2009 12:45

03/03/2009 - Socialist Victory Bans the Use of Seal Products in the EU.

A Europe-wide ban on trade in seal products was agreed by the European Parliament's Internal Market Committee yesterday night (Monday) following the lead from Socialist MEPs.

Danish Social Democrat MEP, Christel Schaldemose, said: "Other parties followed our lead when we held firm on our views on this. We have banned the use of products made from killing seals, but we have defended an exemption for the Inuit communities of Northern Europe.

"The Inuits have used seal products for subsistence in their culture for generations and I also fought to ensure they were given an exemption.

"They have relied on seals for subsistence for a thousand years. Their traditional way of life will not be disturbed, and they will still be able to trade in the EU," she added.

After the successful vote in the committee, it is expected that the plenary session of the European Parliament as a whole will agree to the ban.

British Labour MEP, Arlene McCarthy, who chairs the Parliament's Internal Market Committee (IMCO) said: "The committee voted down by three to one the Commission's proposal for a limited ban and a proposal for an unworkable labelling scheme, because these wouldn't protect seals from being clubbed to death.

"Socialist MEPs demonstrated with the law banning cat and dog fur, in force from the end of 2008, that we don't just listen to public concerns but we act. With this vote for a ban on seal products we have shown again that people power can win through and change the law.

"This vote is a clear mandate to persuade the 27 Member States and the Commission to back a tough ban. All the Members of the IMCO Committee - myself included - have been contacted by hundreds of our constituents and by animal welfare organisations that represent millions of EU citizens, who wanted a tough ban on the cruel trade in seal products.

"A clear majority of citizens across the European Union are horrified by the cruel clubbing to death of thousands of seals every year. They don't want these products on sale in the EU. Today the IMCO Committee backed citizens' demands for a ban."

Seals are killed when their heads are smashed by a "hakapik", a club with a metal point for dragging the animals onto the ice. In their 2006 declaration MEPs said that over a million and a half baby harp seals were slaughtered in the North West Atlantic over the last four years, and the overwhelming majority were less than three months old. Forty two per cent of the carcasses had been skinned alive, said the declaration.

Take Action

by Lauren

Thu Mar 12, 2009 13:07

For anyone who wants to take action and contact the Canadian ambassador or our MEPs, here are some emails addresses that may be useful to you:

FAO Patrick Binns
[email protected]

Mr Liam Aylward MEP TD
[email protected]

Mr Simon Coveney MEP TD
[email protected]

Mr Brian Crowley MEP
[email protected]

Mr Proinsias De Rossa MEP
[email protected]

Ms Avril Doyle MEP
[email protected]

Ms Marian Harkin MEP TD
[email protected]

Senator Jim Higgins MEP
[email protected]

Mrs Mary Lou McDonald MEP
[email protected]

Ms Mairead McGuinness MEP
[email protected]

Mr Gay Mitchell MEP TD
[email protected]

Mr Seán Ó Neachtain MEP
[email protected]

Mr Eoin Ryan MEP TD
[email protected]

Mrs Kathy Sinnott MEP
[email protected]

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ARAN Supporters Urge Irish MEP's to Support Crucial EU Vote

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