Canada (or perhaps it's just the sealing lobby) is feeding the media spin that the EU seal products ban is hypocritical because the EU accepts the culling of seals for sustainable management of the marine environment.
Here's my response (an excerpt of a letter to the editor published today in Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper):
"... In fact, there’s no double standard.
The EU’s law allows for an exception to the ban on imports where hunting is conducted for purposes of sustainable resource management, as long as any resulting products are sold on a non-profit basis.
Like most laws in a liberal democracy, the EU measure balances different values – eliminating commercialized animal cruelty on one hand and responsibly managing the marine environment on the other.
There’s no discrimination against Canada because culling, while permitted under strict conditions, can’t be used as an excuse for commercial sealing, regardless of whether we’re dealing with EU or Canadian seal products...."
