Inuit Plan to Appeal EU Court Decision to Lift Seal Ban Suspension
JOINT MEDIA RELEASE BY THE INUIT TAPIRIIT KANATAMI AND THE FUR INSTITUTE OF CANADA, OCTOBER 29, 2010
Inuit Plan to Appeal EU Court Decision to Lift Seal Ban Suspension
OTTAWA: Canada’s national Inuit organization - Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), and the Fur Institute of Canada(FIC), the lead organizations of a 16 plaintiff consortium – plan to appeal the European Union (EU) court decision of October 26, 2010 which reinstated the ban on the import of seal products into the EU. The ban was suspended as part of interim injunction proceedings by the EU court in a judgment rendered on August 19, 2010.
“I am disappointed and angered that the suspension of the ban has been lifted, now that the judge has had ample time since August 19th to properly consider this immoral legislation. e plan to appeal the ruling as we believe the original seal ban was based on colonial perceptions of our sealing practices, and this week’s ruling is a perfect illustration of this,” stated ITK president Mary Simon.
“In appealing this decision we are in the process of putting a great injustice on the record. Regrettably, a majority of European Parliamentarians continue to be blinded by a combination of old, discredited colonialist attitudes and a cynical disinformation campaign from animal rights activists,” she added.
“The recent news is disappointing, but it will not affect the outcome of our main case on the ban, which is still before the Court, and expected to go to trial next year,” said Rob Cahill, Executive Director of the FIC. “This legislation is discriminatory and unjust. It does absolute nothing to address marine conservation or animal welfare, and is misguided at best,” says Cahill.
“We are in this for the long haul, and we will continue to use all the avenues open to us – legal, political, public opinion – to expose the fundamental injustice of punishing Inuit for pursuing our way of life,” said Mary Simon
“I call on European citizens to understand what this Legislation is doing to our right to sell seal products into their markets. I call on them to educate themselves on why the seal hunt is in fact legal, humane and sustainable, and in many cases necessary to maintain marine ecosystem balance. I call on Canadians to do the same,” concluded Ms. Simon.
For further information, please contact:
Stephen Hendrie, Director of Communications, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami. Mobile (613) 277-3178, hendrie@itk.ca
and
David Barry, Seals and Sealing Network Coordinator, Fur Institute of Canada. Mobile (709) 640-1628,david.barry@fur.ca
