The import of products from commercial seal hunting, which targets seal pups only a few weeks old, should be banned according to Welsh MEP Jill Evans. Mrs Evans is one of a group of MEPs pushing for European legislation to end the European market for seal products.

MEPs meeting in Strasbourg agreed to support the ban, and now want the European Commission to bring forward legislation to outlaw seal product imports as soon as possible.

Mrs Evans was one of the MEPs who backed the ban, speaking from Strasbourg she said:

"Europe is the leading market for seal fur and this fuels a horribly cruel trade which targets young seal pups. Some European countries have already banned imports, but we need a Europe wide ban in order to help bring an end to this cruel practice.

It is not only a question of animal cruelty but of the very survival of seals in large numbers over the longer term. We know that over the past four years one and a half million seals have been killed for their fur, and that the vast majority of them were pups under three months old.

If we can bring about an end to the European market in seal products then we can help end what is a cruel and unnecessary practice. The European Commission should bring forward legislation banning seal product imports to Europe as soon as possible."

DIWEDD/END.