what a tosser

forget buying the cd tomorrow. this canuck is downloading it.

cunt.

I'm wondering if he'll boycott some of the countries like Italy and France whose fashion houses continue to demand all kinds of fur for their collections.

No, no no no! He's damn right this time! It's is horrible, barbism. I so much agree with him. Glad he's got very strong views on this issue. I wonder if Macca would be so strong as well as to boycot Canada when he's touring......probably not. But thumps up to Mozzer! This showed me he's still staunch!

And..get your facts straight....baby seals aren't hunted....If any of you want to keep eating fish in the foreseeable future, this is necessary...

I totally support and admire Morrissey for this. He has stuck to his principles in every respect - not seeling meat in venues for example. Unlike those 'super' models who jumped on the anti-fir bandwagon in the 90s and then sold their 'principles' to the highest bidder, Morrissey puts his values before any personal gain. That's one of the reasons that I admire the man.

i wonder what his BEEF is with Houston...

where is that press release?

....while the First Nation People (that's Native Americans to all of you retards south of the border) were hunting seals? McCartney was here last week and had no clue which province he was in. I guess it looks good on a resume eh Moz? So, I expect there are no leather chairs in Moz's house and that his belts are made of papier-mache.

Why doesn't he do a few shows in Canada with all the profits going to raise money to bring awareness to the issue? He could buy airtime on Canadian TV, but print ads, etc. Overall, I think this would help further the cause more.

I do applaud him for making a stand, but I do think there is probably a better way: as an earlier poster pointed out, the only ones who are going to suffer from his boycott are his candian fans.

I'm with Morrissey for trying to change the situation with seal hunting in Canada, but it's a shame he has to punish his Canadian fans for the attitudes of their government. Most people here don't agree with the Canadian government on this issue and have been for years.

Going along with this logic, with Morrissey's views on the involvement of the USA and UK in the Middle East, shouldn't he also boycott those countries? Shouldn't he also punish his American and British fans for the actions of their government, whether they agree with them or not?

Fortunately i'll be seeing him in the UK shortly, and will probably travel to the American North East coast if he plays there. But many fans i know around here can't afford to do that and are very disappointed.

Funny how people around the world can unite about boycots... Last month it was the muslims boycotting Danish goods, and now it's Morrissey wanting us to boycot Canadian stuff... It is so ridiculous and so primitive - maybe I should start buying all the Canadian things I come across - just to protest against the protesters... :o)

well, when he doesn't cancel shows!

I write for all canadian who are tired of this propaganda. What would you do if your house is infested of rats, would you let them live. seal are rats of the st-lawrence golf and they eat all fish. the population of seal passed from 2 million to 6 million in the last 15 years. there are more important cause in the world like children wright and global warming (winter was so warm that there's not enough ice in the st-lawrence golf for seal reproduction).Morrissey should look in is own country who kill chidren and familly because of a war made for the interest for money and oil. For me, vegetarianism is a cause of rich people who does'nt know what is the real needs for reel people.There are hundred of thowsend childen abuse who don't have enough to eat.The population of Quebec are tired of this propaganda that take place every spring.First it was Paul Mcartney, then Brigitte Bardot and now it's Morrissey. But Morrissey is too chicken to come here and tel is point of view. I hope that Morrissey's house would be infested of rats

If anyone has footage or images of the "culling," they should post it. Morrissey is just the latest person to bring attention to this slaughter, and I think it would help if people could actually see what is causing the outrage.

It is an absolute, unforgettable horror.

Why doesn't Morrissey come to Canada and tour, and raise even more awareness (and perhaps further public support) for his cause? This has proved popular in the past (like Bono and PM Paul Martin). I think this might be better than calling for a boycott of Canadian goods.

Yeh well I'd have trouble boycotting Canadian goods, considering I'm living there for the moment, as well you know. Quite convenient for you that seal business to avoid the country eh?

So stay with your bunch of arse-licking clean-living tossers in your little rich man's dream world, I'm quite happy with the seal killers myself.

You won't make any difference giving the whole world lessons on how to live, you and any of your kind who never worked a day in their lives.

If you're so desperate to see that aspect of the Canadian economy change,why don't you go and inject your album money in some non barbaric business activity in that part of the country? That MIGHT make a difference.

But if not, just shut it. You're making a fool of yourself.The world doesn't need to hear your Gucci preaching.What have you ever done to make a difference to anything in the real world anyway?

Have a nice little non Canadian tour.
Viva Turkey.

Oh, and if you ever see Paulo, tell him to shut it too.

HHmmmm. I need my name in the news this week since I'm releasing a new single. How about if I boycott a country that I'm not planning on touring anyway. Hhmmmm. China? South Africa? How about Canada. Yes that's it. I'll send a note to Julia who runs my 'tribute site' (tribute site....ha, that makes me chuckle) and let the press do the rest. I can spend 30 seconds 'making a statement' rather than doing anything of real value that would actually help any animals. "Dear Julia....

does anyone remember the video for interesting drug? i have to cover my sons eyes when we watch. anyhoo....i've been fighting with chrisclarke on the message board about this for an hour or so [hi chris] and it is just such a f*cking hot button issue. me, i think it is useless and, well, just stupid to continue this practice. chris makes compelling arguements for it but it's one of those issues that people are unmovable on. kinda like the immigration debate that is heating up here in the united states. if you are a morrissey fan this should not be anything new. he is a man of his convictions and like all human beings, contrary to what some are posting here, he is free to pick and choose his "causes." certainly, the war is wrong and he could say he's not playing any country with troops in iraq but that is a-wholly unrealistic and b-obviously not a cause as dear to his heart as animal rights. i remember a similiar uproar when meat is murder was released in the united states [god i'm old]... there were some radio stations in texas (i think it was texas) that refused to play it and these were "college" stations. at any rate, i suspect that those of you who are claiming to bid farewell to morrissey over this are, as usual, bluffing. i suspect you'll be in the store tomorrow buying the single and if not, you'll be listening the copy you download! you could prove your mettle by taking a photo of yourself destroying all of your moz/smiths stuff and post it here! any takers??

This is an issue of concern worldwide. It seems that the level of barbarism involved is way beyond what essential culling demands. PETA has taken up the cause and there's a link to its site where those who are not in favour of the current approach can register their objection through signing an online petition. On that page, there's also video information about these seal hunts - (remove any spaces first) http://www.furisdead.com/feat-pampetition.asp

He should reconsider his decision. Also, Canadians should contact the Prime Minister and let him know we feel.

Morrissey, I have been a loyal fan for over 20 years. I was the creator and editor of your first Canadian fanzine ("Charming") and frankly Mr. Shankly, I AM DISGUSTED!

I will be boycotting Morrissey and all his products from now on until he ends his Canadian boycott.

Morrissey, you have lost a fan.

Sincerely,

Steve Bates

No other word for it. If barbaric behavior in industrialized countries is reason enough for such a protest, he wouldn't have anywhere to play. Every nation has its ugly side.

Morrissey stands up for his animal rights principles and the right wing animal hating fans and non-fan trolls who come here to bad mouth morrissey after reading the story elsewhere, post and post and post. good for morrissey. and no he does not have to boycott other countries for wearing fur or other countries for the Iraq war...HE TAKES ACTION WHEN IT COMES TO ANIMAL RIGHTS, NOT IRAQ WAR. he'll speak out against it but he isn't go to put that much energy to it. AND IT'S HIS RIGHT TO PICK HIS BATTLES. HE PICKS ANIMALS AND GOOD FOR HIM!!!

The only city morrissey ever plays is Toronto...so just suck it up and go to Detroit, Buffalo, or wherever else in the US that is relativley close (so you may have to drive 5 hours...tough.)

and for those who hold different values...then just accept morrissey isn't an animal hating, gun toting maniac like most are in canada. DIfferent Values i guess for different folks (i'm not saying the US is any better with the animal killing...but baby seal hunting is a current cause with much hype around it).

I mean, it's ridiculous to return his CD because of this. If you are a fan of morrissey then you know his values. and if you don't live close by to Toronto, then he wasn't going to come to your area anyways. So he exchanged a Toronto show for a chance to make a statement. how much the statement matters is up for opinion and doesn't matter--it's his to make.

The US banned imports of seal products in 1972 and the EU followed suit a decade later with a ban on white pelt imports taken from the youngest babies.

As a result, the Canadian government reduced quotas for seal hunting to as low as 15,000 annually - mainly for meat and local handicraft. But with fur again in fashion, the hunt is back.

Canada increased the quotas last year, allowing a million seals to be killed over the space of three years.

Money changes Everything......Morrissey is holding with his morals

Jesus Christ Morrissey! You have a good idea, but you are going about it in the wrong way! Punishing fans is not going to change a God Damn thing, you blasted imbisil!

No matter how many letters Moz's Canadian fans write or how many times we voted against/stood up against the seal slaughter, we still got it in the end. Does he think his fans hold senior positions in the goverment? Moz is boycotting his Canadian fans and hoping we'd spew some fossil fuels in his name to see him in Buffalo... even some of his biggest fans are saying "NO WAY!

moz said boycott canada and where is else would it hurt them more?

You can only boycott so much without going mad. For instance, I wanted to boycott Nestle and Coca Cola, over the baby milk scandal and the Colombian trade union murders respectively. And I've been very sucessful with boycotting Nestle - I won't be shopping at the Bodyshop again, for instance. But Coca Cola has been more difficult, and whilst I try my best, have you any idea how much those bleeders own!
Anyways, my point being that Morrissey has always had his heart in the right place, but being 100% ethical in this world is nigh on impossible without retiring to a cave and wearing sackcloth. Therefore, he does what he can when he sees that it will have the most impact. I know his Canadian fans are disappointed over this, and who can blame some for severing their links with him. But this is the sort of thing that goes hand in hand with being a Morrissey fan, and it always has done, so it surprises me that people are outraged and/or vitriolic over his decision. I would be mightily annoyed if I were a Canadian fan, but not at Morrissey; I'd pick up my pen and petition the government, because I share the values of the entertainer I adore.

So Morrissey, are those not nice LEATHER shoes I've seen you wearing many times? and was that not a picture of FOX HUNTING in you favorite barbers in London?

Morrissey has now left the building....

If i'm not mistaken Norway has a seal killing agenda also. not on the scale of the so called cull in canada but.....

Waaaah, boo hoo, Daddy's being mean. He won't give me everything I want.

Waaaah, boo hoo, Daddy doesn't agree with all of my political views. He has his own views and priorities. I thought he was just like me.

Waaaah, boo hoo, I don't love Daddy anymore.

I find it unfair that morrissey isn't playing canada. it's the government not the fans that are killing baby seals. the fans shouldn't be penalized for what the government is doing. i think it's very ignorant on moz's behalf.

The Canadian Governement is saying, "Oh look, Morrissey says he isn't comming here. Damn, guess we will have to make do without the $99 tax revenue he would have generated - ha ha ha !!!"

The fact is, if it were Bono from U2 doing this, it might do something, but this is Morrrissey, whose enire 1991 Kill Uncle Canadian album sales amounted to just over 10,000 cds sold - A DROP IN THE BUCKET at best!

The only concert Morrissey would likely have in Canada would be in Toronto, my hometown. He hasn't been to Montreal or Vancouver in 9 years so he likely wouldn't perform there now. To us in Toronto, he has boycotted us meanwhile its Newfies (from Newfoundland) that are slaughtering the seals...Toronto fans won't be happy with this... we understand your position but you are not punishing the barbians, you are punishing the few crusaders.

Merrilea-Toronto

Canadian Prime Minster Steven Harper's only comment today was, "Morisley who?"

The US still has capital punishment! Boycott the US Moz!!

Capital Punishment is Murder (even if it is only American Meat)!!!

Abortion is Murder! Boycott the EU!!!

NL Premier Danny Williams released the following letter, in response to a public letter from the IFAW to the Premier. The letter was sent directly to the IFAW March 8, 2006:

March 8, 2006
Mr. Fred O’Regan, President
International Fund for Animal Welfare
c/o ccutter@ifaw.org
Dear Mr. O’Regan:

Though you chose to send a letter to me publicly rather than actually sending it directly to me personally or to my office, I feel compelled to respond to some of the issues raised in your letter. There are many, many inaccuracies in the public domain on the seal harvest that I have and will continue to refute, however, for the purposes of this letter I will address the specific items raised in your public letter.

You state: "…not a single reputable "expert" or "veterinary group" that has observed the hunt and called it humane."

First of all, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association found that 98 percent of seals are killed in an acceptably humane manner (Sept. 2002 report).

Also, a report, funded by the World Wildlife Fund, by an independent veterinarians working group August 2005 made the following statement: "… the Canadian harp seal hunt is professional and highly regulated by comparison with seal hunts in Greenland and the North Atlantic. It has the potential to serve as a model to improve humane practice and reduce seal suffering within the other hunts."

I would also like to point out that this report makes the following commentary, which logically directly links to the spread of inaccurate and misleading information by organizations like the IFAW. This includes the incessant misuse of photo opportunities with white coats which are illegal to hunt. The report states that: "the perception of the seal hunt seems to be based largely on emotion and on visual images that are often difficult for even experienced observers to interpret with certainty. Campaigns and rhetoric that play to the emotion at the expense of understanding and communication of factual information will neither increase the use of humane efforts nor reduce animal suffering."

Perhaps your organization would care to explain why to this very day you have photos of white coats on your web site and you continue to promote photo opportunities involving these seals, when in fact it has been illegal to hunt these since 1987. I find it ironic that you would lecture anyone on facts, when your entire money-making campaign is based on blatantly false information. Surely with the $77 million USD raised by your organization in 2004, you can afford to update your web site.

You state: "…seal hunt is actually an intervention to save seals from starvation…I would welcome any evidence."

First of all, from a sustainability perspective let me state again that the seal herd is extremely healthy and despite increased allowable catch the population has tripled to 5.8 million since the 1970's. We have taken our annual allowable catch every year while the herd continues to grow substantially. Over-populated seal, like other animal populations, can result in the death of seals as a result of starvation. The seal population is at an all-time high therefore their food source is being stressed as well. This would likely result in many seals dying a very slow and painful death as a result of not being able to find food. In fact, we have experienced in this province seals coming into shallow water bays and rivers – where they have never been seen before – in desperate search of food. This is perhaps why the United Nations and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature have recognized that Sustainable Use of the world’s living resources is not only legal and appropriate, but that such practices contribute to conservation of biodiversity by developing protocols which guide that harvest and "constituencies of interest."

You state: "….products from this commercial slaughter are used to shelter and fuel….I would welcome any evidence you have to back up these ludicrous assertions."

Read the rest of this comment...

The following letter from Trevor Taylor, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, appears today in the April 13, 2005 edition of the Globe and Mail:

Margaret Wente has again shown she does not understand Newfoundland and Labrador or rural Canada (Our Black Eye: Most Of The Seal Hunt Propaganda Is True - April 7).

We can agree that the seal harvest is about propaganda; that is, memorable images are used to generate an emotional response. Seals are killed on pristine ice floes where blood plays to the cameras. Slaughterhouses and fur farms also provide meat and clothing, but they operate behind closed doors, away from celebrity spokespersons and video.

Some environmental lobbyists shamelessly promote misleading images of the seal fishery. They also use human words like "baby" and photos of young whitecoats (which have been protected since 1987). As Ms. Wente points out, these lobbyists are driven by money because the seal harvest remains a key part of their international fundraising campaigns.

The power of propaganda speaks to the irony that these groups and the public have no interest in the continued overfishing of moratoria fish species. Some European nations still purposely catch fish that are at risk of devastation. The seal population, by comparison, is at some of the highest levels ever recorded, but seals are above the water and ready to be captured on film.

For hundreds of people, sealing provides a significant source of income before the spring fishing season. That's why they risk their lives in a dangerous industry.

Ms. Wente's lack of awareness of the economic hardships facing people in remote areas of Canada - who, she claims, should set their "sights a little higher" and go "to night school to get retraining" - is unfair and disrespectful. Her ill-informed commentary about rural Canada and the seal fishery widely promotes unjust stereotypes.

Trevor Taylor, MHA
Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador

The following was distributed in June of 1998 at the request of the Conference of Atlantic Premiers:

Sealing industry

Atlantic premiers meeting June 8 in Fredericton, New Brunswick acknowledged that groups such as the IFAW were publicly stating a number of misconceptions regarding the sealing industry.

Newfoundland Premier Brian Tobin noted that "the seal hunt is conducted on the basis of a sustainable harvest, utilizing humane practices carried out by professional fishermen."

Premiers acknowledged the importance of the sealing industry in terms of its economic value and impact, particularly in Newfoundland and Labrador, as evident from the following indicators for 1998:

Landed Value to Seal Harvesters