CATCA Tours and Seal Campaign in Europe
Thoughts on the campaign against seal slaughter in Europe.
December 10, 2008
OK, my suspicious got confirmed.
France who has now the EU Presidency, hasn't organized yet the Coordination Meeting at the European Council, and it seems they are in no hurry to do so, because they are under lots of pressure of the Canadians, and on January 1st 2009, the Czech's will have the EU
Presidency so then they will have to deal with the Canadians.
Carl Schlyter (MEP), told me this Meeting can be delayed up to February 2009!
The big problem is that if this decision gets delayed for one reason or another, this could be a total disaster if this is not decided when the Swedish take the EU Presidency next year, because they are OFFICIALLY against the ban!!!
So what was suppose to be decided this week in Brussels at the European Parliament and Council about the Resolution regarding the trade of seal products at the EU, has been posponed.
CATCA is in constant contact with the Czechs who are also on the second round of votes at their Parliament to adopt a national ban on all Canadian seal products. They support the ban at the EU level too.
So this should be decided in about two months time.
I want to make clear to all of you out there, that THE SEAL HUNT IN CANADA WILL NOT BE AVOID IT FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS! Many of you believe that this Resolution will have an inmediate impact in Canada and the seal hunt will stop automatically. I WISH! Unfortunately, this is not the case. The sealers feel the pressure already: the prices of the seal pelts went down dramatically, the hunt is risky due to the extreme weather conditions, the seals are scarce due to global warming, so on.
This Resolution if the decision is for a TOTAL BAN, it would help to end this atrocity within few years. To start with, to be implemented it would take probably 18 months, and then the pressure will be felt here.
But THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO ACHIEVE IT!
Another thing is that the Swedish are not alone against the ban, but they always counted with the support of Denmark (because of Greenland), and today I just got confirmation that Finland it's on their side too!
Demostrations, collection of petitions, signatures and letters to the Canadians are just a waste of time, money and efforts. This going on at the highest level in Europe is the only possible solution to bring to an end the seal hunt in Canada.
CATCA will launch in January a couple of e-mail campaigns, so you from any country in the world can help the seals directly. If you want to add your name to our e-mail list contact us.
CATCA has been in Europe three times this year lobbying in person and at the highest levels, and had several meetings in the Ministries of Environment, Ministries of Agriculture, Parliaments and even the European Parliament and European Commission.
CATCA lobbied personally for 3 years with several EU countries (and this year, with the help of all my awesome anti sealing and animal rights/welfare colleagues in Europe and Canada the US and Latin America involved in this campaign, and all of you out there we lobbied with every EU member country). The countries that WE ALL convinced to support the ban during this campaign are: Poland, Slovakia, Portugal, Spain and we take some of the credits for the Czech Republic. We have been lobbying hard with the Irish and they are apparently in favor, but they haven't spoke openly about it.
I have been lobbying with most of the EU contries for three years and so far the majority are simpathetic to our cause, but because this Resolution includes the seal products coming from Canada, Norway, Russia, Greenland and Namibia and there are so many issues involved there and "loyalties" too, make this upcoming decisions more complex.
About the UK, Germany, Austria, Luxemburg, Italy and France adopting national bans, well, most of these countries kind of halted this issue. Now the main focus is this Resolution to be decided at a EU level.
We have no funding for what we do, so we need your help to be able to keep doing this high level lobbying in Europe, paying for the airfare, trains, buses, hostels, materials printed, long distance phone calls, stamps, so on. We are in big need of economical support. We are looking for monthly donations, yearly donations and one time donations from supporters like you, to help us keep on doing this lobbying and maintain this ongoing campaign for the seals.
Big well known orgs. do not help us economically (not even to borrow money from them!), so we are alone doing this and CATCA has been going to Europe to lobby for the Canadian seals, on behalf of the Western Canada Anti Sealing Coalition and all the other provincial and local anti sealing groups in Canada, the real grass roots, willing to end this massacre of the baby seals and without funds. We may not have staff (CATCA is run by volunteers), nor have a fancy building as an office, nor millions of dollars, but we have the will!
Contributions/donations can be send to CATCA:
Ericka P.O. Box 16021, 617 Belmont Street, New Westminster BC V3M-6W6 Canada or go to the main page to donate by Paypal.
Thank you!
Ericka Coordinator of the International Campaign for the Total Ban of Canadian Seal Products at the European Union
Translations
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Ericka
PO Box 16021
617 Belmont Street
New Westminster
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V3M 6W6
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