Environmental activists who thwarted Japan's whale hunt have promised to employ similar tactics to disrupt Canada's annual seal hunt, which began today.
Paul Watson, the head of the Sea Shepherd Society, says he and other members of his group will document what they describe as the "perverse abomination" of the seal hunt. Mr Watson claimed his boat, the Farley Mowat, will remain outside of Canada's 20km territorial limit. He added that it would be an international incident if Canadian authorities tried to board the ship.
Canada's Fisheries Minister has threatened Mr Watson with prosecution and warned him to steer clear. He said Canada will not be bullied or blackmailed into forcing out people who depend on the sealing industry for their livelihood. He described the Sea Shepherd Society as an extremist organisation that jeopardises the safety of seal hunters.
Canada has given the green light for 250,000 seals to be culled this year and the authorities claim the harp seal population is "healthy and abundant".
Animal rights groups are receiving observer permits and expect to monitor the hunt. They argue the seal hunt is cruel, difficult to monitor, ravages the seal population and does not provide much money for sealers. Welfare groups and media had earlier claimed they were being prevented from monitoring Canada's annual commercial seal hunt.
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