Petition circulates against EU status at Arctic Council
A group of Canadian Inuit have launched a website to drum up support for the abolition of the European Union ban on seal products.
They’re also circulating a petition calling on the Canadian Government to reject observer status for the EU at the Arctic Council.
“We the undersigned Citizens of Canada, call on we call on Parliament to reject the European Union’s application for OBSERVER STATUS at the Arctic Council until such time as the European Union recognizes the rights of Canadian seal hunters to participate in a lawful industry by completely lifting the seal product ban (Regulation (EC) No. 1007/2009) currently in place,” reads a section of the petition posted on the website inuitsealing.org
This May, Canada takes over the roving chairmanship of the Arctic Council from Sweden.
Inuit throughout the Arctic have been negatively affected since the EU seal ban was put in place in XXXX.
Though the ban includes an exemption for Inuit, the ban has nevertheless killed the market for seal products that generated income for Arctic Inuit communities in places like Greenland, Canada and Alaska.
The General Court of the EU will decide later on this week whether the EU ban on seal products should stand or be struck down.
Related Link:
What the EU seal ban has meant for Inuit communities in the Arctic, Eye on the Arctic / Radio Canada International
Seal Ban: The Inuit Impact, Radio Canada International