Newsletter – December , 2006
The Baby Seal 'Clubbing' Issue
325,000 seal pups will be shot or clubbed off the Canadian east Coast ...starting now!
As of March 26th, 2006, the 2006 baby seal hunting season opened. Hunters in boats are shooting the seal pups as they lie on ice flows ...then quickly try to grab the seal's body before it slides into the cold water and sinks. Clubbing the seal pups insures the hunter the opportunity to prevent the pup's carcess from sliding off the flow ...and saves a bullet.
This season is off to a slow start due to the warmer temperatures that have broken up and scattered the ice flows widening the hunting area. Activists are out but little attention is being paid to their efforts. There have been no reports of any clashes between the activists and the hunters so far. The activists are posting videos on their web sites of the slaughter that is taking place.
Celebrities are also voicing their concerns with the lead being taken by Paul McCartney and Bridgette Bardot who are petitioning Ottawa to stop the hunt.
Paul McCartney and his wife Heather bringing
the seal pup slaughter to a worldwide audience
Once the animals are killed, they are skinned and taken into the hunter's boats. The pelt is used to make coats while the rest of the carcass is usually left behind.
Rebecca Aldworth of the Humane Society of the US said the poor quality of the ice meant her team had found far fewer seals than usual.
"The few surviving baby seals we've watched for the past several days are being killed as Canada's gruesome seal hunt begins again," she said.
"Harp seals now face a double threat to their survival - the impact of climate change and historic high levels of commercial hunting."
Canada says the hunt gives the local economy a crucial boost and helps keep a harp seal population of almost six million animals in check.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Canada was behaving responsibly and would enforce rules ensuring that the seals were killed humanely.
"Unfortunately we're the victim of a bit of an international propaganda campaign," he said.
Ms Aldworth repeated calls for an international boycott of Canadian seafood to protest what she said was "incredible cruelty at the hunt, including dragging conscious seals across the ice with boathooks, shooting seals and leaving them to suffer in agony and skinning seals alive".
The first part of the hunt, which takes place near the Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of St Lawrence, usually takes about 10 to 12 days to complete and this year will account for just over 90,000 seals.
The second and larger stage of the hunt, off the coast of Newfoundland, starts on April 4!!!
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WWOW needs your help ... !
Donate now and allow us to turn small amounts of funds into
large amounts of action. The time is today because every day
the slaughter continues. DONATE NOW
If you want to volunteer your time on behalf of this cause, do
it today. Thanks! VOLUNTEER NOW
We can make a difference!
ccollins
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March 29: How the Death of One Pup Sums Up Everything That's Wrong with Canada's Seal Hunt
©2005 HSUS/Brian Skerry
THE GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE, March 29—Today was the first day of the commercial seal hunt in Canada. And despite gale force winds, sleet, and rain, The HSUS Seal Watch team was there on the ice floes to bear witness to this slaughter and document the cruelty.
Tonight, after several hours on the ice observing the hunt, I sit here, trying to do the impossible—to find words that would come close to describing what we have seen. What we witnessed was unconscionable, and I can think of no way to adequately capture the fear, misery, and betrayal we saw in all directions.
And that is why I find myself writing mostly about one baby seal. One who endured unimaginable suffering so her skin could be turned into a fur coat. One who wanted to live so badly that she fought for more than an hour as blood oozed from her mouth and nose. One who desperately needed help that we had no way of providing.
And one who has come to symbolize for me all the reasons why this hunt should be stopped for good.
Read the complete story and visit: The Humane Society Of The United States
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Request For Action
Tell your Senators to Defend the Endangered Species Act
by Natural Resources Defense Council
March 24, 2006
The Endangered Species Act is one of America’s most important and effective environmental laws. Large-scale developers and other powerful industry players are using their money and influence to try to undermine the act. Last September, the House of Representatives passed a destructive bill (H.R. 3824) that would severely weaken protections for imperiled wildlife. Now, the fight over the fate of this law is moving to the Senate. Urge your senators to vote NO on any legislation that would weaken the Endangered Species Act.
March 24, 2006
Your U.S. senators
I strongly support the Endangered Species Act and urge you to vote NO on any legislation that would weaken this landmark law.
The Endangered Species Act has provided a crucial safety net for wildlife, fish and plants on the brink of extinction for more than three decades. The act has helped prevent the extinction of almost every listed species, including the bald eagle, the gray wolf, the grizzly bear and the Pacific salmon. Ninety-eight percent of the species protected under the act still exist today, and many are stable or improving.
Despite the overwhelming success of the Endangered Species Act, the House of Representatives has passed a destructive bill (H.R. 3824), sponsored by Representative Pombo of California, that would severely weaken this important law. Now, the Senate is about to consider similar legislation. As you know, any bill passed by the Senate would have to be reconciled with Representative Pombo's bill in order to become law.
For the sake of future generations, we must fulfill our responsibility to protect the earth’s most vulnerable species. No species should be lost on our watch. I urge you to help defend the Endangered Species Act by voting NO on any legislation that would undermine this important law.
Dear Senator,
Sincerely, Your Name
We need you to take action!
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The Bird Flu !!
Everywhere we read and hear about the threat of the Bird Flu and how many people worldwide could be effected by this dangerous spreading disease. How about the threat of this Flu to the wildlife community of this planet?
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) just stated that the Bird Flu may pose a new threat to endangered mammal species. It seems that the large cat such as the tiger and the leopard are especially at risk. Even the smaller cats like the civets and other mammals life weasels, badgers, otters, and martens are vulnerable. So far, the disease has killed or led to the culling of 200 million birds around the world. Doesn't that seem like a cause of concern? The H5N1 strain of the avian flu is spreading rapidly in Africa, Europe, and Asia already killing 100 people. In Germany, even some house pets have been found to have the disease. Poor rural people in some of the undeveloped countries are starting to hunt endangered wildlife for fear of eating a 'poultry' for their protein fearing that chicken meat etc. may be carrying the flu. This may effect many endangered animals from the wild pig to the gorillas and chimpanzees population. The flu could have disasterous consequences on island habitats which are extrenely vulnerable due to their limited size and seperation from other ecosystems. Watch for Hawaii to start banning poultry imports shortly.
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Tax Donations Help Endangered Species
By Gordon McHenry
With tax preparation season well underway and most people having received their income tax and end-of-year earning forms, now is the time to consider what a donation to the Endangered Species Campaign can do to help the threatened and endangered native animals and plants in the state.
By checking the line 55 box on their state income tax forms and designating a donation amount, or instructing their tax preparer to do so, Californians can assist the Department of Fish & Game in recovering endangered species through the tax check-off program, said Dale Steele, with DFG's Habitat Conservation Program Branch.
“The department invites all Californians, whether they receive a refund or have to pay additional taxes, to support the conservation of our magnificent wildlife resources,” Steele said. “Doing your part to support endangered species-through a contribution to the Endangered Species Campaign-will help protect California's natural wonders for future generations.”
There are about 300 animals and plants in California listed under the state and federal endangered species acts (http://www.dfg.ca.gov/hcpb/species/t_e_spp/tespp.shtm). DFG uses the money collected through the campaign to perform endangered species conservation and recovery work.
Launched in 1984, the tax check-off program has enjoyed wide popularity and survived lean times as contributions have continued to flow. Donations for the endangered species tax check-off usually rank among the top three most popular check-off destinations. Not only has the total contribution increased over the years, the average contribution has also grown to an average of more than $12 per contributor.
“Even small amounts donated by the many people who care about the wildlife in this state can be used strategically when we've needed to carry out vital research or recovery actions,” said Steele.
The donation is deductible on both state and federal tax returns the following year.
Although dozens of other states have similar check-offs for non-game wildlife donations, California is the first state to allow a check-off donation regardless of whether the taxpayer owes money or expects a refund.
“The IRS says it's never too early to plan for the April 15 deadline, and we're saying it's never too late to help protect the state's threatened and endangered wildlife,” Steele said.
Spring has finally sprung, the snow is melting fast, and we'll soon have another hour of daylight in the evening. More time to get out and enjoy the always great spring bite! Good fishing.
DONATE TO WWOW TODAY !
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Wonderful World Of Wildlife
88 East Main Street, #134
Mendham, New Jersey 07945
USA
Phone:
908-380-8830
Fax:
908-325-0104
E-Mail:
WWOW.ORG@gmail.com
 
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