05 March 2008 - South East MEP Caroline Lucas has called on the Russian authorities today to make public key figures on seal deaths that would expose the annual mass slaughter of newborn seal pups on Russia’s White Sea coast. Her comments come as the annual March season of newborn seal clubbing gets underway.

In a letter to Ambassador Vladimir Shizov, the Russian representative to the European Union, Dr Lucas expressed disappointment that her request for statistics on the number of seal pups, in particular newborn seals, killed between 2005 and 2006 in the White Sea area had been ignored.

She has been driven to write directly to the Russian authorities following a lengthy period of inaction by the European Commission, which has so far failed to provide any information or exert the necessary pressure on Russia to come clean on the real figures.

Dr Lucas commented: “Sadly, after two years of correspondence with the Commission, we are no closer to obtaining information on the numbers of seals killed during the annual White Sea slaughter.

“Following my initial demands for information in 2006, I was informed by the Commission in 2007 that they had raised the issue with the Russian authorities – but a full year on, I have not yet received any of the relevant information.

“In writing directly to Ambassador Shizov, I hope to gain the information which would expose the extent of the slaughter, and enable us to initiate a much-needed campaign to prevent this cruel and unnecessary practice. And let’s not forget, ’sealing’ is intensely brutal – as many as 40 per cent of seals are skinned while they are still conscious.”

She continued: “Furthermore, I call on the Commission to enforce an import ban on seal products, which would be entirely consistent with EU and world trade rules enshrined at the WTO, both of which allow exceptions to free trade on the grounds of ‘public morality’ - a concept understood to include concern over animal welfare issues.

“A ban on imports into the EU – the biggest market for seal fur – would bring us a significant step closer to ending the barbaric cull of hundreds of thousands of seals in Canada and Russia every year.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Caroline Lucas is a Vice-President of the RSPCA, which awarded her its ‘Michael Kay Award’ in 2006 to mark her ‘outstanding contribution to European animal welfare’.

In 2006 Caroline co-sponsored a Written Declaration, along with four other parliamentary colleagues, calling for a ban on the import or sale of any products from hooded or harp seals. The Written Declaration attracted record support from MEPs and was passed as the official position of the European Parliament.