ANIMAL PEOPLE is the
leading independent newspaper providing original investigative coverage
of animal protection worldwide. Founded in 1992, ANIMAL PEOPLE has
no alignment or affiliation with any other entity.
HALIFAX, ST. JOHNS––Sealers on the Labrador Front were expected
to complete their 2005 quota of 319,500 seal pelts, the most in 50 years,
in early May. The first phase of the 2005 Atlantic Canada seal hunt, in
the Gulf of St. Lawrence, killed 107,000. Another 103,000 were killed
along the Labrador Front by April 18.
The Sea Shepherd flagship, the Farley Mowat, tried to monitor the Labrador
Front killing, but was pushed away from the ice by a storm that delayed
the opening of the second phase of the hunt for three days, and was obliged
to give up the pursuit on April 15.
Confused by the delay, the Boston Globe on April 12 published a fabricated
article about the Labrador Front opening by freelance Barbara Stewart.
Following an extensive apology and retraction, the Globe published a long
pro-sealing commentary by indigenous sealing industry spokespersons Kirt
Ejesiak and Maureen Flynn-Burhoe.
Earlier, the Sea Shepherds videotaped the Gulf of St. Lawrence killing.
On April 1, six Sea Shepherd Conservation Society crew members were beaten
by sealers, while 11 Sea Shepherd crew were arrested for allegedly being
too close to the sealers.
Among the injured and arrested was Sea Shepherd board member Jerry Vlasak,
M.D., of Los Angeles. Vlasak was removed from the board by a vote of the
other members on April 21. Amid controversy about remarks he made in 2003
that seemed to endorse killing vivisectors, Vlasak allegedly said similar
about sealers in an interview with CBC radio.
Then, reported the CBC, “The Sea Shepherds were involved in a torrent
of death threats that were delivered by phone this month against Newfoundlander
sealer Ren Genge,” whose crew attacked Vlasak and the other Sea Shepherds.
“An April 2 posting on a blog on the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's
website identified Genge's name, mailing address, phone number and even
the name of his wife.”
Watson had the information removed from the society's website.
