Seals clubbed to death in hunt. Contains shocking images

Two animal rights organisations have released brutal images which they claim show Canada's annual seal hunt which started this week. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) said its video was shot over two days in the Magdalen Islands on Canada's East Coast during which 17,200 seals were killed. And as animal rights groups bid to win public support for their calls for a ban, the Humane Society of the United States has released their equally disturbing video which they claim was filmed in the Gulf of St Lawrence. Canadian officials defend the annual hunt as humane and a legitimate means of income for isolated communities. The European Parliament recently disagreed with the hunt supporters and their claim that seal clubbing is not cruel. It is hoping to ban imported seal products - a move which will also hit seal hunters in the pocket.

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ITN | March 26, 2009

Tags:. .magdalen. .cruel. .international fund. .animal welfare. .european parliament