Lauding the government's decision to prohibit the import of seal, an aquatic mammal, in any form, two animal protection bodies have said that India's choice will be the "last nail in the coffin" for the sealing industry.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in a recent notification had said that the import of seal, in any form is prohibited.
The Humane Society International/India and the People for Animals said in the "landmark" decision the DGFT banned the import of skins of seals, a move which will spare the lives of thousands of seals from slaughter by commercial sealing industries.
"With dwindling world markets for seal products, the Canadian sealing industry is counting on countries like India and China to import the seal fur, oil and meat that other nations refuse to buy.
"I am glad that India has chosen compassion over cruelty. We are certain that this choice will be the last nail in the coffin for the sealing industry," said N G Jayasimha, managing director of the HSI India said.
In a statement, it said the notification was issued in the wake of exhaustive campaigning for the ban by the HSI India and the People for Animals urging the government to take a clear moral stand by closing its doors to the trade of seal products.
Lauding this policy stance trustee of People for Animals and HSI/India's government liaison, Gauri Maulekhi, said, "We commend the DGFT for its firm commitment in abolishing the import of seal skins."
"The DGFT had previously prohibited the import of exotic skin and leather and import of foie gras, a liver extract of ducks," she said.
Sharing facts, the bodies in the statement said that with more than two million seals killed since 2002, Canada's commercial seal hunt is considered the largest slaughter of marine mammals on Earth.
The statement said the seals are killed for their fur and, because the skins of young pups are most valuable, 98 percent are less than three months old at the time of slaughter.
Veterinarians have called the methods of commercial sealing "inherently inhumane" and argue that prohibiting seal product trade is the most effective way to reduce the killing, it said.
The United States, the 28 countries of the European Union, Mexico, Russia and Taiwan have all prohibited trade in products of commercial seal hunts.
In 2013 and 2014, the World Trade Organization twice upheld the rights of nations to prohibit seal product trade for animal welfare reasons, it said.
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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