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Abonner Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

White Coat Seals Manipulated in Lobby Groups' Fundraising Campaign

ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland, March 16 (ots/PRNewswire)

"White
coats" have not been harvested since 1987, but there is evidence that
they are being exploited by the anti-sealing interest groups who
profit from Eastern Canada's seal harvest.
It has long been recognized in the Canadian province of
Newfoundland and Labrador that the white coat (which references a
harp seal's white fur that molts away after approximately three
weeks) is a critical component to some lobbyists' fundraising
campaigns. A harvesting and trading ban of white coats has existed
under Marine Mammal Regulations since 1987. However, some political
action committees appear to rely on the donations that are generated
in response to their blatant promotion of such images.
In an assessment conducted on March 10 of such organizations' Web
sites, 14 of 22 discussing the seal harvest displayed one or more
images of white coats, typically in a high profile manner. A fact
sheet can be obtained online at www.gov.nl.ca/fishaq/sealfactsheet
"We respect even extremist groups' right to disagree with
Newfoundland and Labrador's cultural, historical, and economic links
with the seal harvest," says Trevor Taylor, Newfoundland and
Labrador's Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. "But many anti-seal
groups purposely promote the more appealing image of white coats,
which have not been harvested for almost two decades. It's time that
they stopped exploiting these seals for their own fundraising
purposes."
"Not every organization concerned with the seal harvest promotes
photos of white coats. But the most vocal activists do, typically in
a blatant attempt to tug at your heart as a means to tugging at your
purse strings," says the minister. "These people use photos of white
coats to sustain a myth and to generate an emotional response. How do
you take action? You donate to a lobby group to stop a harvest that
ended in 1987."
Today's seal harvest is environmentally sustainable and remains
both economically and culturally important to some remote coastal
areas of Canada. In Newfoundland and Labrador, the sealing industry
employs thousands of harvesters and hundreds of plant workers on a
seasonal basis. In 2004, the landed value of seals in the province
was $15.4 million, and produced a market value of over $45 million
for products such as pelts, Omega-3 oil, and meat.

Contact:

For further information: contact Alex Marland, Communications,
+1-709-729-3733 or alexmarland@gov.nl.ca