The Fur Institute, in partnership with other sustainable use and resource based organizations such as the Canadian Sealers Association, has recently formed the Trade Fairness Coalition in response to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Settlement Panel ruling in November 2013, and the unprecedented step of invoking the ambiguous “public morality exception” to uphold the EU ban on seal products, in spite of the ban’s violation of international trade law.
This decision is a direct result of an ongoing and well-funded international animal rights campaign of misinformation which has for over 35 years targeted the Canadian sealing community. Seals and the WTO ruling are only the ‘thin edge of the wedge’ in the escalating attacks against other science based sustainable use activities, resource management and related businesses. What began in the 1970’s as a media campaign Joint Statement on WTO Ruling against seal hunting has evolved to become a comprehensive global campaign where the ends justify any means. Tomorrow this precedent could just as easily be applied to livestock farming, fishing, hunting, aquaculture, mining, oil and gas or a host of other natural resource industries.
Visit the website for more information and to sign the petition. www.tradefairness.com
See the full Trade Fairness joint statement here