This year is looking more promising than ever. The European Union is considering a complete ban on seal products, a bill to ban the hunt has been introduced in the Canadian senate for the first time since the ’70s, and the general demand for seal products is shrinking worldwide.

An end to the hunt seems inevitable, but it won’t happen without continued pressure. Here are 5 simple ways you can help stop the hunt next Saturday:

If you live near one of these scheduled rallies in various countries, show up with signs or costumes to make the plight of the seals known to the general public. If anything, you’re sure to meet some like-minded people and have a good time.

2. Ask Canadian politicians to support the seal hunt ban Michael Wilson, Ambassador to the US
Embassy of Canada
501 Pennsylvania Avenue
NW Washington, D.C. 2001
Tel: 202-682-1740
Fax: 202-682-7726

Stephen Harper, Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa
K1A 0A2Fax: 613-941-6900e-mail: pm@pm.gc.ca 3. Thank Senator Mac Harb for sponsoring the bill to end the hunt

Canadian Senator Mac Harb is the first senator in decades to sponsor a bill in opposition to the seal hunt. Not a single other senator has expressed any support for his bill, so chances are that it won’t get anywhere this time. Regardless, to encourage Harb to reintroduce the bill in the future, he needs to know that there are millons of people across the world who support his effort. Shoot an email here: harbsealbill@sen.parl.gc.ca

In Defense of Animals suggests that you fill out the “Brief Request” section of this form email with the words “Please ban seal products from EU territory” and then specifically state in the Your Request section something to the extent of “Please ban products derived from seals from being imported into the EU, exported from it, or even transported through EU territory in Brussels on 1 April 2009.”

If you eat fish, try to check the country of origin before buying. A boycott on Canadian seafood began in 2004 and continues to this day with the support of the Humane Society of the united States, Harpseals.org, Animal Alliance of Canada, and Sea Shepherd. Check out this list of common Canadian seafood products to watch out for.

Written by Alex Felsinger Published on March 8th, 2009