On March 16, 2009, Sea Shepherd and LUSH Handmade Cosmetics launched a hard-hitting North American campaign to end Canada's controversial seal slaughter. LUSH is the first company in Canada to take a national stand on this issue. Postcard petitions against the Canadian commercial seal hunt were distributed at all participating LUSH stores.

On May 2, 2009, Development Director, Alex S. Earl, met with representatives of LUSH Handmade Cosmetics in Vancouver, British Columbia, at the Robson Street LUSH store to hand over 38,015 signed postcard petitions to Canadian Senator Mac Harb. Senator Harb took possession of these signed postcard petitions with the assurance that each petition will be delivered directly to Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, at the nation's capitol in Ottawa, Ontario. It has been theorized that politicians regard every complaint they receive as representative of 1,000 voters who share the same opinion. Applying this theory to the signed postcard petitions, Prime Minister Harper and his government would do well to heed the opinion of 38,015,000 voters across North America.

The Canadian commercial seal hunt is currently the world's largest slaughter of marine mammals. Senator Harb has worked tirelessly to end this hunt. He introduced legislation in March which if passed would amend The Fisheries Act. While no other Senator backed his proposal to put this bill to a vote in the Canadian Senate, Senator Harb stands alone as the only Canadian politician since the 1970's to openly speak out against this annual slaughter.

A global movement against Canada's seal hunt is reaching a tipping point. The United States, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Ireland have complete bans of the importation of Canadian seal products. On May 5, 2009, the European Union voted to ban the sale of seal products in the 27-nation EU. The world's sealing nations, with Canada's hunt being the largest, are now more isolated by global opinion than ever. With few commercial markets remaining open, the end of the seal hunt is near. It is the profound hope of Sea Shepherd, LUSH, and Senator Harb that the delivery of these petitions, combined with the EU vote, will help to end this hunt once and forever.

l-r: Tricia - LUSH, Erika - LUSH, Alex S. Earl,  Senator Mac Harb

Senator Mac Harb, Alex S. Earl