A new spike in the harp sealskin fur trade

[FernBell]

Their huge liquid eyes warm even the coldest heart, but the endearing appearance of young harp seals is not enough to spare hundreds of thousands of them from being clubbed and shot to death along Canada's icy north-east coast every year.

And despite growing international revulsion at the violent cull, tonnes of seal skins are imported into Britain every year, some for exclusive fashions but many used to make that most Scottish of garments, the sporran - and the trade is growing.

.......

Fearing a public backlash, government ministers are now moving towards a complete ban on seal fur imports to Britain, something campaigners have been seeking for more than 20 years.

Official trade statistics obtained by The Scotsman show that imports of seal skins to the UK rose by 13 per cent from 2004 to 2005. In 2004, the imported skins weighed a total of 3.6 tonnes. Last year, the figure was 4.1 tonnes.

The majority of the imported skins are the product of Canada's annual hunt, when more than 300,000 seals are killed, primarily for their fur.


http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1708672006