Wednesday 15 January 2003
Most Europeans who say they know about Canada's seal hunt say they oppose it, according to a new survey by the MORI Social Research Institute. Commissioned by IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare), MORI SRI interviewed 2003 individuals in the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands.
Three in five people across all the countries surveyed say they know at least something about the seal hunt and, of those, three quarters (77%) oppose it.
More than half of all people in the four countries (53%) say they feel the hunt harms Canada's reputation abroad. More than a third (36%) say they would avoid buying Canadian products specifically because of the seal hunt, and a quarter (23%) would avoid going on holiday to Canada for the same reason.
Canadian Seal Hunt — Topline Results
- 503 in Great Britain, 500 In France, 500 in Germany and 500 in the Netherlands
- Interviewed over the telephone between 11-15 November 2002
- An asterisk (*) indicates a percentage of less than 0.5% but greater than zero
Q1 I would like to ask you some questions about the Canadian seal hunt, with seals being killed mainly for their skins or 'pelts'. Thinking about the Canadian seal hunt, how much — if at all — would you say you personally know about this?
Base: All (2,003)
| | Total |
|---|
| | % |
|---|
| A great deal | 3 |
| A fair amount | 17 |
| Not very much | 40 |
| Nothing at all | 38 |
| Not sure | 1 |
Q2 And from what you know, to what extent do you support or oppose the Canadian Seal Hunt? Would you say…
Base: All who know something about the seal hunt (1,211)
| | Total |
|---|
| | % |
|---|
| Strongly support | 5 |
| Tend to support | 5 |
| Neither support nor oppose | 10 |
| Tend to oppose | 22 |
| Strongly oppose | 55 |
| No opinion / don't know | 4 |
The Canadian seal hunt — with seals killed mainly for their skins or 'pelts' — is a source of intense debate between those who support the hunt and those who oppose it. Last year, over 300,000 seals were killed — which according to Canadian Government reports is the largest number for 35 years.
Q3 To what extent do you agree or disagree that Canada's reputation abroad is harmed by the seal hunt?
Base: All (2,003)
| | Total |
|---|
| | % |
|---|
| Strongly agree | 18 |
| Tend to agree | 35 |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 13 |
| Tend to disagree | 18 |
| Strongly disagree | 7 |
| No opinion | 9 |
Q4 To what extent do you agree or disagree that 'I would avoid buying Canadian products specifically because of the seal hunt'?
Base: All (2,003)
| | Total |
|---|
| | % |
|---|
| Strongly agree | 14 |
| Tend to agree | 22 |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 16 |
| Tend to disagree | 26 |
| Strongly disagree | 16 |
| No opinion | 6 |
Q5 To what extent do you agree or disagree that 'I would avoid going on holiday to Canada specifically because of the seal hunt'?
Base: All (2,003)
| | Total |
|---|
| | % |
|---|
| Strongly agree | 10 |
| Tend to agree | 13 |
| Neither agree nor disagree | 12 |
| Tend to disagree | 34 |
| Strongly disagree | 24 |
| No opinion | 6 |