Stop The Cruel Seal Trade
Posted on February 11, 2008 - Filed Under Charity, Modeling Q & A, Personal Picts, Studio NB
Dear Friends,
Like you, I care about animals and I don’t ever want to see them suffer.
That’s why I was so horrified to find out about Canada’s commercial seal hunt. Each year, hundreds of thousands of defenseless baby seals are brutally clubbed and shot to death for their fur, most of which is exported to Europe.
I still remember the first time I saw the shocking images: conscious seal pups impaled on metal hooks and dragged across the ice, wounded seals left to suffer, some baby seals even skinned alive. I vowed then to do everything I could to stop this cruelty.
The next commercial seal hunt begins in just a few weeks time. But the good news is you and I finally have a real chance to stop commercial seal hunting forever.
Right now, the European Union is considering a ban on all seal product trade, a ban that could spell the end of commercial seal hunting globally. The EU is holding a public consultation to measure international opinion on the idea, and I’m asking everyone who cares about animals to participate. It doesn’t matter where you live, the EU wants to hear from you.
My friends at the Humane Society have created www.bansealtrade.org to help guide us through the process. It only takes a few minutes to speak up for the seals, the deadline is February 13th, so please log on to www.bansealtrade.org today!
If we all act now, this may be the last commercial seal hunt any of us ever has to witness.
Sincerely,
Nigel Barker
Comments
27 Responses to “Stop The Cruel Seal Trade”
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The t-shirt that your studio has designed has sparked some serious interest in the many of my friends and co-workers. I have put up the image of the t-shirt that you posted on your blog on Feb 1st as my wallpaper on my computer. Many are asking about it and joining the cause.
Just wanted to let you know, you have made a great difference. To date I know of 110 people who have learned about and took a stand on the cause.
BTW, please be sure to let us know when the t-shirt is available. I definetely would wear it with pride!
SuMi
Thank you for caring enough about Seal Abuse to post it in your blog for the world to see. A few friends and I are strong supporters of the organizations to stop cruel actions such as seal hunting.
It’s nice to see someone who has actual INFLUENCE in the world doing something about it; when you have the possibility to change minds, and take it, and morph it to something new, glorious, and heart-felt, it really is an amazing thing. So thank you, I have great respect for you from this.
- Sarah
I am glad you are trying to make a difference. Its horrifying to see the pups being slaughtered, its like killing dogs and cats, its not right, no animal should have to suffer, thanks for helping the seals.
I was shocked to see that this was still going on. I thought this practice of sickening cruelty had been stopped (banded) long ago. Thanks for bringing attention to this.
I had no idea this was going on. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
Hey I love the t-shirts and think its great what your doing but I live in Ireland and wanted to get one but the site I was on didn’t ship internationally so I was wondering if there was anywhere I could get one sent to Ireland.
Thanks!
c
Not all of us that live in Canada are crazed killers of baby animals….I find it totally disgusting and unforgivable. And not all fishermen who “crab” for a living approve of this practice either , I don’t understand why they have to suffer financially…is there not another way to go about this? I have a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and I rescue Greyhounds…I’m an amimal lover too…thank you Nigel , you’re a beautiful man in and out! Liz
Thank you for bringing this horrific slaughter to the attention of so many people. We call ourselves humans, but where is the humanity in butchering helpless animals? The world needs to know that animals feel pain, just like we do. Who are we to end an animal’s life just because we can. My my, aren’t we ever powerful. Shame on us!
As an animal lover, it does my heart good when I see the famous in our midst use their celebrity for a good cause. I can’t think of a better cause than this right now! Thank you so much for allowing me (and others like me) to use your name to get my friends to sign on for this! Keep up the good work! And, your photos are fabulous! Thanks for those, too!
Thanks for putting the info out about the seal hunt. You’d be amazed how many people are totally unaware of this brutal practice! I have been involved in trying to stop this for many years. Going to go straight to the site and order one of the t-shirts now!
Thanks Nigel!
Nigel,
I am constantly updated by the HSUS and I couldn’t believe it when I saw your name on the latest email. I knew that the name was familiar, and I thought, “surely not.” But surely so, and I am so happy that you are helping to fight this disgusting evil that is happening on our planet. I am so relieved to finally see some beautiful pictures of these gorgeous babies with their mommies. Although it makes me nauseous and teary-eyed to think about the next steps in their lives, I hope that the attention you are bringing to these massacres helps put an end to them for good. I have been praying for this all to come to an end, and now I will add you to my prayer list as you are helping to win one of the most precious causes to my heart. I’ll see you Wednesday on ANTM. P.S. You’re my favorite judge of all time on the show (Tyra doesn’t count! It’s her show!).
Nigel,Thank You,you are a beautiful soul, I knew I was drawn to Top model because of you & this is wonderful that you are making a difference & helping HSUS & the seals. .You reach so many people & I believe you will get this done! & stop this cruel inhumane act against these loving harmless seals.This breaks my heart that we haven’t ended this cruelity yet. We must!!!!
I will spread the word but your TV personality will do more.Thank you for caring bringing the sweet pictures of these gentle souls to light.
We ALL must care & get involved you can be an everyday person this is why we are on Earth to care & make life better for all living & breathing animals. We are all God’s children.
God Bless you Nigel.I believe we all can stop this-together.
Nigel,
the world has come full circle with your participation in this campaign, which will go a long way toward diseminating information to a diverse community. John Grandy is wonderful company for you to keep, and my head spun around when I saw that the two of you had finally made it onto the “same page”. I often think about the footage you shot in Japan…which I will never be able to un-see…which reminds me of the power of documenting images and scenes on film…and of how an image that no-one ever sees compares in muteness to the virtual experience of a record/ a shared documentation of history. thank you for taking those pictures and thank you for publishing them and thank you for not being afraid to lend your name to a political cause. I personally appreciate your initiative and altruism.
Celeste Fossel
Nigel
I’ve known about this seal hunt for years.
Any type of animal abuse makes me sick.
Thank you for getting involved in this.
Way to go Nigel!! This horror has been going on WAY TOO LONG, and it must stop! I’ve seen videos of the bloody babies as they lay dying after their fur has been ripped from them! I’ve seen their mothers standing over them trying to get them to get up. Such grief! Such horror! Such inhumanity!
thanks so much for helping the seals i am sure you have other things going in your life it makes you a very special person to take the time i hope you efforts pay off i wish more stars and famous people would get invovled i think there is enough pain and suffering in this world those poor babies god bless you keep the spreading the word people will listen you are great there is a place in haven for you
Hi Nigel,
Thanks for all you are doing to help the Seals! Did you know the DFO is implementing New killing rules this year…Wow to me that is an admission of guilt that they now admit that it is Inhumane. Go get em!
I hope you as a photographer told the Models at Fashion Week in Miami not to ever Model Fur. Some models have pledged not to wear or model fur, but I guess when the price is right they quickly change their minds…very sad bunch, Naomi Watts especially.
I think that what is about to happen to these beautiful creatures is disgusting and desperately want to show people that this is happening. The t-shirts that you have designed are excellent and I’m eager to get my hands on one however the Humane Society do not sell their products outside of the US. I read above that someone else is in the same predicament as me and I’m sure there are plenty more people out there too. Is there any other way that we can get hold of them please?
Many thanks for all your hard work.
Dani Sweet
Thank you Nigel for what you have done for the helpless seal cups, alive or killed. I believe that all animals have souls just like us. May God bless and protect all living souls. We have no right to decide how we should end other lifes because we did not create them!!.
Hi Nigel,
My name is Laura and I’m an animal lover as well!! I grew up in Miami Florida and for as far back as I can remember, I have always had a pet. Anywhere from an exotic rainbow lizard to a baby bird that fell from it’s nest. I was always bringing home the stray dogs in the neighborhood that someone else had disgarded, pleading with my Parent’s to allow me to keep it. Still, till this day I find myself with that same emotional connection to all animals. They are all God’s creatures and deserve to be treated as such.
I live in Houston Texas now and unfortunately I am not allowed to have pets where I live (temporary) I plan to buy a home soon so that I can again have a pet to love and care for. I know the right one is out there waiting for me!!
It sickened me when I recieved the e.mail about the killing of those beautiful baby seals. How could anyone be so cruel and heartless after looking at their sweet little faces. I cried through your whole Blog. I want to thank you for what you are doing to save them. Without someone like you standing up and saying NO MORE KILLING, the slaughter would continue on and I believe as you do, that it needs to STOP!!
Once again, thank you!!
Sincerely,
Laura Jare
Thanks for helping save the seals. It sickens me to think what will happen in a few weeks. I pray this insanity ends soon (and not just for seals, but all animals)!
Hello Nigel! thank you for helping the seals, they are fantastic animals! i’m from Menorca a little island in the Balearics, Spain, i love all kind of animals and i’m doing my best to convince everybody to help, but it would be great if you could translate your writing into spanish, it would help a lot, because many people here they don’t understand english, and they deleted! believe me i could help if you want! we have to send it to everybody without missing a single person. thank you again!
Way to go and it is great to see photographers trying to do some real good for this planet and the life that lives on it! Keep doing good stuff for real causes and one day people will hopefully see the light. Stay positive! Anthony
Thank you for helping to make a difference for these innocent babies so brutally slaughtered to death – this barbaric seal hunt has to stop! The world needs to learn about Canada’s stubborn and cruel shameful atrocious yearly practice.
For years i have knowledge about this terrible and disgusting , seal hunt in canada, i have a bad opinion about the canadian goverment and for me, the fisherman are monsters , people with no hart, soul and good feelings. but i also find guilty those famous designers , who still want to make fashion with fur of inocents creatures that “GOD” created , not for this stupids designers and this ridiculous people who pay to buy fur coats , etc. STOP THIS DISGUSTING SEAL HUNT. leave this beautiful animals live in peace
THANK YOU FINALLY LIKE SOMEONE ELSE STATED SOMEONE WITH AN INFLUENCE! DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS INHUMANE CRUELITY NOT ONLY TO SEALS BUT OTHER ANIMALS AS WELL FOR THEIR FUR. IT’S NOT RIGHT AND WE NEED TO FIGHT!
Also where can i buy the shirt from