I give it my Seal of approval !!!!!
Posted on February 1, 2008 - Filed Under Charity, Modeling Q & A, Nigel Barker Today, Personal Picts, Studio NB
I have always considered it extremely important for people to stand up and make a difference. Action speaks louder than words as we all know and while there are so many important causes out there; it is often hard to know what to do? Well this is simple – Canada’s commercial seal hunt is the largest slaughter of marine mammals on Earth. In the past three years, more than one million seals have been killed for their fur. In 2001, an independent veterinary panel studied the commercial seal hunt and concluded that the seal hunt results in considerable and unacceptable suffering. Well, being clubbed over the head when you were only a few weeks old and left to drown in your own blood could give that impression! Almost half the baby seals aren’t even unconscious from the clubbing before they are skinned alive. In Newfoundland, where more than 90 percent of sealers live, income from the seal hunt accounts for less than one-half of 1 percent of the province’s economy and less than 1 percent of Newfoundlanders participate in the seal hunt. So banning the hunt is not about the small financial inconvenience to a few humans but the massive suffering of millions of beautiful baby seals…..
Do something to stop the senseless slaughter, go to www.bansealtrade.org and sign the petition.
My studio has designed a T-shirt that will also be available that makes a “fashion statement” worthy of the red carpet. Click on the seal below for more information.
is a link sing up for the Humane Society Online Community
Comments
32 Responses to “I give it my Seal of approval !!!!!”
Leave a Reply
Thank you very much taking on this cause and helping the baby seals….You have a huge fan base that can speak out in favor of banning seal product imports into the European Union. Thankfully, we have a strong marime mammal protection law that already bans seal imports into the U.S.! Thank you, Nigel!
It is quite sad what is happening out there to seals. Unfortunately, many people do not know about it. So thank you for putting this post up on your blog.
Really love the t-shirt too. Will be looking out for it.
Again… THANK YOU!
As a Canadian, I am appalled by the Canadian seal hunt that happens here in Canada every spring. I have sent countless letters to politicians and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans that oversees the slaughter. While I will continue in this regard, it is important to note that American financial muscle can end this atrocity. Please boycott Canadian seafood and all travel to Canada until the seal slaughter ends for good. Please help us end this cruelty.
If you really want the world to hear this message, wear this shirt on ANTM. I’m definitely on the watch for one of these shirts for myself. Thank you for getting the message out there.
I am physically ill over the footage and photos of this unbelievable issue… I hate feeling this sad over something and feeling as though I can’t do anything about it :0(
Thank you for playing a role in the journey to end this horror!
Sincerely, Danielle
I watch you on Americas Next TOp Model and its awesome that you are speaking out for a worthy cause such as this! YOu are in the public eye and you can make a difference!! God bless, Andrea
People in a position such as yourself can make such a difference, and the fact that you are willing to speak out on the atrocity of seal hunting is admirable. Thank you for showing compassion and concern. I was a fan of yours before; now you are on the top of my list!
Respectfully,
Cathy
Thank you for speaking out on behalf of those who cannot speak!
I cannot believe this issue still exists. I remember seeing these horrific images when I was a young girl. I am now 52 years old, and my own children in their early 20′s are now signing the same petitions, watching the same gruesome footage about this CRUEL trade. When will these people understand how WRONG this is?!
This is the 21st Century! Enough of this barbaric “hunt”. This is not a hunt – this is a cowardly slaughter! Bludgeoning baby animals to death, skinning them alive, having them drowning in their own blood — while their terrified, helpless mothers watch their young dying — is just unbearable.
END THIS SAVAGERY! BAN ALL IMPORTS & Trade in seal products!
I’m really happy to see someone working in the fashion industry that has no tolerance for fur. I wish everyone would think like you.
I wish models will do the same and refuse to wear fur both on the runway and off…but I think that’s too much to ask isn’t it?..
Thank you so much for spreading the word! The baby seal slaughter is a shameful and barbaric act that has no place in the 21st century! Shame on you, Canada! Let’s all work together and stop it once for all!
Hola !
Le doy gracias a Dios de que existan personas como usted, y ojala se pueda hacer algo o màs bien mucho, ya que se siente una impotencia y mucho coraje tanta crueldad de ver conque saña matan a estos indefensos animalitos, se le salen a uno las lagrimas.
Gracias por compadecerse y preocuparse, que Dios lo bendiga. Verònica.
Hello Nigel,
This is brilliant to see you are also speaking out against Canada’s awful seal slaughter. Thank you very much for showing the world how awful and merciless this slaughter reall is.
Ireland loves YOU!!!!
Dear Nigel,
Thank you for speaking out on behalf of the seals. We have to be their voice and be advocates for their protection. It is heartwarming to have someone from the world of fashion who realises how barbaric and inhumane it is to wear another animal’s skin when there are so many other choices. Canada cannot be considered to be a civilised country until they put a total and absolute ban on the murder of seals. Ghandi said that you can judge a country by its treatment of animals, need I say more. Not only are innocent animals killed but in such a cruel and inhumane way, shame on Canada!
Nigel,
It is very important that someone of your celebrity status voices these opinions for all of those you do not know much about anything that is not celebrity.
Thank you for taking a moment to voice your opinion, please WILL listen to you. Shame on fashion – fur in NOT “in”!
Why kill a cute seal all animals souldnt be killed for no reson if we go around clubbing baby seals then next well e aloud to kill baby humans
Hello, Nigel!
Thank you so much for speaking out for the seals. It never hurts to have a well-known public figure voice their opinion on behalf of those who have no voice. I agree with someone who commented before: wearing this shirt on ANTM would definitely broadcast the issue to a huge audience. Many people are unaware that the hunt still goes on, and it’s our job to tell everyone!
Best, Andie
when i found out you were supporting the fight to save the seals i flipped out. im an aspiring model & extreme animal rights activist. i would like to thank you, who i consider one of my favorite photographers, for voicing your thoughts on this inhumane act.
Its really great that many people are supporting this cause yet this appalling slaughter still continues apparently for money in the pockets of these off season fisherman.If they were offered an alternative way to make the money:say a cruel free type of employment that actually helps the world,that is what needs to be funded so that there will be no available hands to commit this atrocity.Where are all the billionaires who actually have the funding and who could set this necessity up,Believe me If I had any substantial money I would be trying to either buy the area where they are killing these seals and declare it a protected zone legally in all ways recognized without question throughout the world,thus seriously protecting them with armed security just like in any national wildlife park.I would definitely create the ‘JOBS’for these murdering Fisherman so there would be no need financially for this sad sad sad situation.
I am truly against this seal hunt and dont know why it keeps on going on. I live in the US, and have visited parts of Canada way before I even knew about this hunt. Now that I know about this hunt, I refuse to ever visit any part of Canada and I’m boycotting Canadian seafood.
Thank You So Much For Putting This On Your Site. Seal Hunting Is Cruel And I Can’t Imagine The Type Of Person Who Could Hurt A Baby Seal. If There Is Anyone Who Doesn’t Mind This, Ignores It Or Participates In It They Are Sick. This Is A Terrible. It Is Not A Sport!
DUDE, YOU ROCK!!! XD
Thank you Nigel! Thank you for your compassion and for letting people know of this horrific Canadian “past time”. The Humane Society has a list of grocery stores and business that have joined the boycott to end this massacre. If your grocery store is not on that list, speak to the store manager and urge them to join the boycott. I agree with Michael in Canada, we can end this by using our financial muscle. Get ‘em where it hurts! We will not support this!
Thank you for speaking out against this commercial seal slaughter for the fur trade. It’s important that people influential in the fashion world condemn this hunt since it is the demand for fur that sends these Canadian fishermen out onto the ice to kill the seals each spring. If harp seal pelt prices drop, many fewer harp seals would be killed.
Thank you for drawing attention to this cause. I am a Canadian who is disgusted that this happens in my country. I want the seal hunt stopped!! It is horrible.
Thank you so much for this. I’ve been a long-time fan of America’s Next Top Model and am considering auditioning for an upcoming season. I wanted to let you know how much I appriciate your efforts to stop this senseless slaughter and that you have chosen to publicize your opinion on the matter in this way. Thank you so much, again, for doing what you are doing for these helpless seals.
As a Canadian, all I can say is THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
Unfortunately, I have learned over the years that politicians here will not end the seal hunt because they don’t want to lose the votes of those in the fishing industry. This industry is worth billions in Canada and millions of votes. Canada must be shamed into banning the seal hunt. Markets must be closed and the fishing industry must suffer huge loses from an international boycott of Canadian seafood. I also believe everyone should boycott tourism to Canada and write to the tourism office to let them know why you refuse to come to this country.
It is people with a heart full of compassion, like Nigel Barker, who will put an end to this atrocity.
As we speak, Canada is already slaughtering grey seal pups in Nova Scotia. This is Canada’s OTHER seal hunt which is just as cruel. For more info, go to http://www.antisealingcoalition.ca
It is somewhat comforting to know that there are people out there like you to help in the fight to stop the seal hunt. When I first witnessed this inhumane, senseless slaughter I literally cried, as how anyone, I mean anyone, can go up to those poor defenseless babies and club them to death. I find Canada disgusting and will not purchase or support them in any manner.
I am sad to know that this will occur again in 28 days. I cry for the babies and the mothers.
Hey Nigel,
Thanks for talking the time to talk about it. Unfortunatly it’s not the direct financial befefits from the seal hunt which keep it alive, it’s the benefits reaped from the billions of dollars worth of fish that the seals don’t eat.
The hunt would probably continue even if any material (fur, meat, seal oil) reaped from the seals couldn’t be salvaged into direct financial benefits
go get them nigel
The baby seals are very curious and friendly towards the sealers as the men approach, as any baby is towards someone new in his environment. This is what is so heartbreaking — the seals’ misreading of the cruel intentions of the men. The pain of their death is unimaginable as many are skinned alive. The sadism and cruelty of Canadians have affected me so deeply that I will never buy another Canadian product or set foot on Canadian soil.
Nigel,
I am for you. At the age of 14, I’ve grown up to absolutely love and adore animals. My friend sent me an email about this, and i think i cried at looking at all the photos. I exited out of the email, and only read half of it. It was horrible, disgusting and outrageous. But it’s not just the canadians and Norway who are slaughtering animals. The Japanese are killing thousands of whale, for meat which is devastating too!
If i had a genie granted me 3 wishes, my first wish would be to STOP ANIMAL SLAUGHTER!!!
Thankfully, many people are against animal slaughter and agree with this, but when will this stop? Don’t they realise what they’re doing?! What would it be like, being in the seals shoes and having to be clubbed over the head repeatively then dragged away on a hook? Maybe they should think about that…..
Thanks, Pattie
Hello nigel,
thank you soo much for speaking out for helping the seals.. i am soo happy that people aredoing something about it. I just don’t understand how people can kill those seals and live with themselves…i love animals!!!!
P.S ( i love nigel barker toooo)