European Parliament votes to end trade in seal slaughter products

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 5th May 2009

The European Parliament has today voted to end the import and trade in seal skins and other products within the EU, at its plenary session in Strasbourg.

Liz Lynne, the LibDem MEP for the West Midlands voted for the ban. Liz has been a long time campaigner against the seal skin trade which often uses cruel and painful methods in order to capture and kill seals, some of which can mean that the seals are still alive when hunters skin them.

Speaking after the vote Liz said:

"It is high time we saw an end to the barbaric practices that are involved in seal hunting and this is the first big step to ensuring they become a thing of the past."

"I am delighted that the whole of the European Union will now follow the example of countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands who already have a ban on the trade of seal products in place."

"The message is clear, we will not allow seal hunters to continue to treat these animals with such cruelty.