To the dismay of animal lovers around the world, the annual Canadian seal slaughter is set to resume later this week. Therefore, with the goal of bringing the world's attention to this atrocity, Sea Shepherd is proud to announce a new partnership with LUSH Cosmetics to oppose the commercial hunt, which kills over 250,000 baby harp seals each spring.

Established 14 years ago, LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics has been driven by innovation and its ethics, and are the creators of pioneering beauty products such as the fizzing bath bombs, bubble bars, shower jellies, solid body butters, and solid shampoo bars. LUSH places emphasis on fresh ingredients like organic fruits and vegetables and the finest essential oils, and operates a strict policy against animal testing. Last summer, Sea Shepherd partnered with LUSH in the United Kingdom in a successful awareness campaign to help end the cruel practice of Shark Finning. This partnership generated media around the globe, bringing the plight of the sharks to the world's attention.

This time, LUSH has created a new bubble bar in the shape of a baby seal especially for this campaign with Sea Shepherd. This sea-vegetable soap bar includes a reusable seal face sticker and is called "First Swim" because many baby seals are slaughtered so young they haven't even had a chance to go into the water. A hundred percent of the proceeds of the bubble bar are going directly to Sea Shepherd, because as LUSH observes, Sea Shepherd is the only animal protection group putting themselves between the seal hunters and the baby seals.

Dominating the window of LUSH's North American stores will be a giant picture of a seal with the words "End Canada's License to Kill" splattered in red paint. LUSH shop staff will be giving customers information about the plight of seals and urging them to put pressure on the government by signing postcards that LUSH will be sending directly to Canadian Prime Minister Steven Harper. 

To launch the campaign on Wednesday, March 18^th,  in the Queen Street store in Toronto, Ontario, LUSH employee Kristi K will strip down to virtually nothing, paint herself red and lay on a bloody Canadian flag to symbolize the thousands seals that will be killed and skinned during this year's hunt.

"As a business that cares about animals and the environment, we are ashamed that the blood continues to flow on the ice of Eastern Canada," said Mark Wolverton, North American CEO of LUSH Cosmetics. "Clubbing and shooting baby seals for their fur is cruelty to animals, plain and simple, and LUSH Cosmetics wants to see it stopped."

Sea Shepherd's President and Founder Captain Paul Watson said, "We are extremely grateful to LUSH for their efforts to bring this issue into the spotlight.  After witnessing the cruel slaughter of seals first hand and devoting most of my life to bringing it to an end, I am hopeful that the increased public awareness through the LUSH campaign for the seals will aid the efforts by those of us working to stop this barbaric practice once and for all."

For additional information about the campaign, please visit www.lushusa.com