Thursday, March 09, 2006
Premier Danny Williams response to IFAW demand for an apology
NLIS 5
March 9, 2006
(Executive Council)
Premier Danny Williams today released the following letter, in response to a public letter from the IFAW to the Premier. The letter was sent directly to the IFAW March 8, 2006:
March 8, 2006
Mr. Fred O�Regan, President
International Fund for Animal Welfare
c/o ccutter@ifaw.org
Dear Mr. O�Regan:
Though you chose to send a letter to me publicly rather than actually sending it directly to me personally or to my office, I feel compelled to respond to some of the issues raised in your letter. There are many, many inaccuracies in the public domain on the seal harvest that I have and will continue to refute, however, for the purposes of this letter I will address the specific items raised in your public letter.
You state: "�not a single reputable "expert" or "veterinary group" that has observed the hunt and called it humane."
First of all, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association found that 98 percent of seals are killed in an acceptably humane manner (Sept. 2002 report).
Also, a report, funded by the World Wildlife Fund, by an independent veterinarians working group August 2005 made the following statement: "� the Canadian harp seal hunt is professional and highly regulated by comparison with seal hunts in Greenland and the North Atlantic. It has the potential to serve as a model to improve humane practice and reduce seal suffering within the other hunts."
I would also like to point out that this report makes the following commentary, which logically directly links to the spread of inaccurate and misleading information by organizations like the IFAW. This includes the incessant misuse of photo opportunities with white coats which are illegal to hunt. The report states that: "the perception of the seal hunt seems to be based largely on emotion and on visual images that are often difficult for even experienced observers to interpret with certainty. Campaigns and rhetoric that play to the emotion at the expense of understanding and communication of factual information will neither increase the use of humane efforts nor reduce animal suffering."
Perhaps your organization would care to explain why to this very day you have photos of white coats on your web site and you continue to promote photo opportunities involving these seals, when in fact it has been illegal to hunt these since 1987. I find it ironic that you would lecture anyone on facts, when your entire money-making campaign is based on blatantly false information. Surely with the $77 million USD raised by your organization in 2004, you can afford to update your web site.
You state: "�seal hunt is actually an intervention to save seals from starvation�I would welcome any evidence."
First of all, from a sustainability perspective let me state again that the seal herd is extremely healthy and despite increased allowable catch the population has tripled to 5.8 million since the 1970's. We have taken our annual allowable catch every year while the herd continues to grow substantially. Over-populated seal, like other animal populations, can result in the death of seals as a result of starvation. The seal population is at an all-time high therefore their food source is being stressed as well. This would likely result in many seals dying a very slow and painful death as a result of not being able to find food. In fact, we have experienced in this province seals coming into shallow water bays and rivers � where they have never been seen before � in desperate search of food. This is perhaps why the United Nations and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature have recognized that Sustainable Use of the world�s living resources is not only legal and appropriate, but that such practices contribute to conservation of biodiversity by developing protocols which guide that harvest and "constituencies of interest."
You state: "�.products from this commercial slaughter are used to shelter and fuel�.I would welcome any evidence you have to back up these ludicrous assertions."
Historically, seal skins have been used by people in northern regions for shelter and the oil used in the same manner as fuel today. I must reiterate that seal oil is developed for industrial use and is used for medicinal purposes in the form of omega-3 oils which are used for heart problems, arthritis problems, menstrual problems and liver problems. The purpose of my statement was to refute the very inaccurate statements made by Ms. McCarthy that the seal harvest only takes place to get fur for the fashion industry. This is an absolutely false statement.
You state: "�you sought�.to link IFAW to FBI terrorist watch lists�."
My statement on Larry King Live was very clear on this issue. My direct quote was: "And let me tell you the FBI right now have a file opened in their terrorism division investigating organizations like this, including the PETA organization, from a terrorism perspective." This information is public knowledge and there was, in fact, an article written on this very issue by the Washington Post on December 20, 2005. I did not reference the IFAW in this statement.
A few other points I would add. The hunt is heavily regulated, and closely monitored each and every year. The methods used in today's professional seal harvest kill seals quickly and humanely. Licensing policy requires a commercial sealer to work under an experienced sealer for two years in order to obtain a professional license. Personal use sealers must undergo training and have a license. As I have stated many times, our goal is to have a regulated and monitored harvest. This includes prosecuting offenders, which I support. What I do not support is misrepresentation of the facts for monetary gain by organizations.
Thank you for the opportunity to hear more of the facts surrounding the seal harvest in Canada.
Sincerely,
DANNY WILLIAMS, Q.C.
Premier � Province of Newfoundland & Labrador
Media contact: Elizabeth Matthews, Office of the Premier, (709) 729-3960, 690-5500, elizabethmatthews@gov.nl.ca
NL has got your back Mr Williams. The truth needs to come out and shall prevail.
March 9, 2006
(Executive Council)
Premier Danny Williams today released the following letter, in response to a public letter from the IFAW to the Premier. The letter was sent directly to the IFAW March 8, 2006:
March 8, 2006
Mr. Fred O�Regan, President
International Fund for Animal Welfare
c/o ccutter@ifaw.org
Dear Mr. O�Regan:
Though you chose to send a letter to me publicly rather than actually sending it directly to me personally or to my office, I feel compelled to respond to some of the issues raised in your letter. There are many, many inaccuracies in the public domain on the seal harvest that I have and will continue to refute, however, for the purposes of this letter I will address the specific items raised in your public letter.
You state: "�not a single reputable "expert" or "veterinary group" that has observed the hunt and called it humane."
First of all, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association found that 98 percent of seals are killed in an acceptably humane manner (Sept. 2002 report).
Also, a report, funded by the World Wildlife Fund, by an independent veterinarians working group August 2005 made the following statement: "� the Canadian harp seal hunt is professional and highly regulated by comparison with seal hunts in Greenland and the North Atlantic. It has the potential to serve as a model to improve humane practice and reduce seal suffering within the other hunts."
I would also like to point out that this report makes the following commentary, which logically directly links to the spread of inaccurate and misleading information by organizations like the IFAW. This includes the incessant misuse of photo opportunities with white coats which are illegal to hunt. The report states that: "the perception of the seal hunt seems to be based largely on emotion and on visual images that are often difficult for even experienced observers to interpret with certainty. Campaigns and rhetoric that play to the emotion at the expense of understanding and communication of factual information will neither increase the use of humane efforts nor reduce animal suffering."
Perhaps your organization would care to explain why to this very day you have photos of white coats on your web site and you continue to promote photo opportunities involving these seals, when in fact it has been illegal to hunt these since 1987. I find it ironic that you would lecture anyone on facts, when your entire money-making campaign is based on blatantly false information. Surely with the $77 million USD raised by your organization in 2004, you can afford to update your web site.
You state: "�seal hunt is actually an intervention to save seals from starvation�I would welcome any evidence."
First of all, from a sustainability perspective let me state again that the seal herd is extremely healthy and despite increased allowable catch the population has tripled to 5.8 million since the 1970's. We have taken our annual allowable catch every year while the herd continues to grow substantially. Over-populated seal, like other animal populations, can result in the death of seals as a result of starvation. The seal population is at an all-time high therefore their food source is being stressed as well. This would likely result in many seals dying a very slow and painful death as a result of not being able to find food. In fact, we have experienced in this province seals coming into shallow water bays and rivers � where they have never been seen before � in desperate search of food. This is perhaps why the United Nations and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature have recognized that Sustainable Use of the world�s living resources is not only legal and appropriate, but that such practices contribute to conservation of biodiversity by developing protocols which guide that harvest and "constituencies of interest."
You state: "�.products from this commercial slaughter are used to shelter and fuel�.I would welcome any evidence you have to back up these ludicrous assertions."
Historically, seal skins have been used by people in northern regions for shelter and the oil used in the same manner as fuel today. I must reiterate that seal oil is developed for industrial use and is used for medicinal purposes in the form of omega-3 oils which are used for heart problems, arthritis problems, menstrual problems and liver problems. The purpose of my statement was to refute the very inaccurate statements made by Ms. McCarthy that the seal harvest only takes place to get fur for the fashion industry. This is an absolutely false statement.
You state: "�you sought�.to link IFAW to FBI terrorist watch lists�."
My statement on Larry King Live was very clear on this issue. My direct quote was: "And let me tell you the FBI right now have a file opened in their terrorism division investigating organizations like this, including the PETA organization, from a terrorism perspective." This information is public knowledge and there was, in fact, an article written on this very issue by the Washington Post on December 20, 2005. I did not reference the IFAW in this statement.
A few other points I would add. The hunt is heavily regulated, and closely monitored each and every year. The methods used in today's professional seal harvest kill seals quickly and humanely. Licensing policy requires a commercial sealer to work under an experienced sealer for two years in order to obtain a professional license. Personal use sealers must undergo training and have a license. As I have stated many times, our goal is to have a regulated and monitored harvest. This includes prosecuting offenders, which I support. What I do not support is misrepresentation of the facts for monetary gain by organizations.
Thank you for the opportunity to hear more of the facts surrounding the seal harvest in Canada.
Sincerely,
DANNY WILLIAMS, Q.C.
Premier � Province of Newfoundland & Labrador
Media contact: Elizabeth Matthews, Office of the Premier, (709) 729-3960, 690-5500, elizabethmatthews@gov.nl.ca
NL has got your back Mr Williams. The truth needs to come out and shall prevail.
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
