Word: parliament
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...could the cute and fluffy creature cause so much trouble? On Tuesday, the day before the summit, the European Parliament passed a vote in Strasbourg to ban imports of seal products into the European Union - mainly from Canada. MEPs voted by a massive 550 to 49 to ban seal products - from soft pelts to Omega-3 health supplements made from seal oil - in time for the next commercial seal hunt season, in Spring 2010. (See pictures of life beneath Antarctic...
...also just in time for the European elections next month. The Parliament effectively closes down Friday as campaigning begins across the E.U.'s 27 member states. Unlike seals, who have permanent residence on any list of the cutest things in the world, MEPs suffer from an image problem: the public views them as ineffectual and anonymous, and turnout at the upcoming elections is expected to be a record low. By standing up for beautiful baby seals - and backing a cause championed by the likes of Paul McCartney and Pamela Anderson - MEPs perhaps thought they could strike a chord with jaded...
...This law is a victory for people power," said British Labour MEP Arlene McCarthy, who helped steer the ban through the Parliament, in a statement. "The vast majority of people across the U.K. and Europe are horrified by the cruel clubbing to death of seals...
...vote also earned praise from animal welfare groups, who say that seals are sometimes skinned while still conscious. "The Parliament has hammered the final nail in the coffin of the sealing industry's market in the E.U.," said Lesley O'Donnell, from the International Fund for Animal Welfare. "The decision will save millions of seals from a horrible fate," added Humane Society International director Mark Glover...
...another aspect of the ban: It will remain legal for Europe's fishermen to cull seals for fish stock management. (And they can continue to sell the resulting seal products within the E.U.). Adult seals get through huge amounts of fish on a daily basis, and buried within the Parliament ban is a recognition that seals often have to be hunted to ensure the sustainability of fisheries in some areas. Indeed, the population of seals on Canada's east coast is now 6 million, three times what it was in the 1970s, making them a major threat to fish stocks...