Russia bans 'bloody' baby seal hunting

Russia banned the hunting of baby seals, weeks after Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called it a "bloody industry".

"The bloody sight of the hunting of seals, the slaughter of these defenceless animals which you cannot even call a real hunt, is banned in our country, just as well as in most developed countries, and is a serious step to protect the biodiversity of the Russian Federation," the minister for natural resources, Yuri Trutnev, said in a statement.

Seals inhabit Russia's White Sea region in the Arctic. Hunters target the fluffy baby seals -- also known as "whitecoats" for their highly valued snow-white fur -- in early spring.

Canadian legislation bans the hunting of baby seals with white coats, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, a government department.

Protests urging a halt to hunting of baby seals took place in 20 cities and towns across Russia this week. On Feb. 27, state-owned Rossiiskaya Gazeta quoted Putin as saying: "This is a bloody business and it's clear that it needs to be stopped." He said hunters should be compensated for lost earnings.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Russia
• bans
• 'bloody'
• baby
• seal
• hunting

[theRachelandJoeshow]

THAK GOD FOR RUSSIA SCREW CANADA

[J0NDGK]

Russia obviosly has a mutch better gov't than canada.

[yessgtwillrock]

Go Russia! Proud of your compassionate decision.

[icekarma2752]

good on you russia!!!

[Peace2Love15]

I like how people blame the whole country for this. Not every Canadians are killing the baby seals.

[theWarmachine115]

russia knows went to stop this shit. unlike some countires...YEAH THATS RIGHT CANADA I'M LOOKING AT YOU!! russia rules

[nutzw1]

So a baby seal walks into a club....

[jasincl]

for the idiots who say they dont hunt baby's ONLY BABY sEals have the white fur and change to a grey cosat in 1 month so they hunt as fast as possible :(

[itzJLD]

@kittiepurry23 No, that's too quick. They should be punched until they are unconsious then have acid poured onto their face until they die from blood loss.

[wizwow77]

@Eceoes all putin did was what the canadian government did thirty years ago..ban the harvest of young seals..the seal hunt now consists of harvesting mature seals...but green peace still preaches about "oh those barbarains killing baby seals."which is a complete lie..what i undersood from this video is that russia still will hunt the mature seals....which they should if the raisng and slaughter(with a blow to the head) of domestic livestock is acceptable..complete double standard.

[wizwow77]

@J0NDGK canada has had a ban on the harvesting of baby seals since the seventies...it has taken russia 30 years to comply..how can you say that russia has a better government..green peace probably knew better than the mess with the russians when they started all this 30 years ago, and it was much easier for them to reach canadas east coast..just so you know they still slaughter baby lambs in north america and europe..where is the outcry against that...