THE World Society for the Protection of Animals has for many years worked to end forms of cruelty to animals overseas, such as bear baiting, bullfighting and captive dolphinarias.
So to read that Canada is allowing the biggest seal cull for more than 50 years can only be seen as a backwards step in animal welfare.
Not only is this one of the largest slaughter of marine mammals anywhere on the planet but an independent veterinary study in 2001 found that 42 per cent of these animals are skinned alive.
The Canadian government justifies the cull by claiming seals in the North Atlantic destroy cod stocks. But there is no scientific support for this claim. In fact, scientific evidence has shown that the true cause of cod depletion is over-fishing.
I encourage readers to help put a stop to this cruel practice by writing to the Canadian High Commission, 38 Grosvenor Street, London W1K 4AA.
P LYMBERY
World Society for the Protection of Animals Albert Embankment
London
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