Earlier this month, I blogged about Canada and its seal hunting season. The annual Canadian seal hunt is the largest in the world and the government tries to convince people it is in the best interest of the country, but it isn’t popular with everyone.
In my blog, I mentioned several organizations that are against the seal hunting season. Of course, PETA and the Humane Society are among those organizations, but Sea Shepherd, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Harp Seals and the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) are also involved.
There have also been many celebrities in the past and present who has opposed this hunt. As far back as 1977, actress Yvette Minieux (Where the Boys Are) was demonstrating to end the seal hunt in Canada. A year later, actress Brigitte Bardot, a long time animal activist, was also protesting the killing of seals as was M*A*S*H star Loretta Swit. Bardot was so passionate that she traveled to Ottawa just a few years ago in 2006 to continue the fight.
Through the years, the list of celebrities who have spoken out against the seal hunt has only grown longer. Actors like Richard Dean Anderson, Kim Basinger, Juliette Binoche, Martin Sheen, Pierce Brosnan, Ed Begley Jr., Pamela Anderson, Rutger Hauer, and Linda Blair have also given their voices to try to end the hunt.
The month after Bardot protested (and was refused a meeting with the Canadian prime minister to discuss ending the seal hunt) in 2006, Sir Paul McCartney and then-wife Heather Mills toured the Gulf of St. Lawrence sealing grounds. The couple later appeared on Larry King Live to debate the matter with Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, Danny Williams.
Still others that have joined the anti-hunt activists include the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Canadian author Farley Mowat, Paris Hilton, and Robert Kennedy Jr.
Of course, ending the seal hunt was particularly close to the heart of ecologist Jacques Cousteau. In 1978, he said, “We have to be logical. We have to aim our activity first to the endangered species. Those who are moved by the plight of the harp seal could also be moved by the plight of the pig – the way they are slaughtered is horrible.”
If you think only the older, more established stars are speaking out, you may be surprised to know that singer Ke$ha will appear in PETA ads. The 24-year-old U.S. pop singer has joined Iggy Pop in PETA’s against the Canadian seal hunt titled “Canada’s Club Scene Sucks.”