Rainbow Warrior during Seal Hunt Campaign

Not to be used for fundraising.

NOTE:

“Greenpeace’s seal hunt campaign became iconic because of the images it created: a seal pup and a hunter -- and a Greenpeace activist standing between them. What is not as well known, especially outside of Canada, is the harm that this campaign did to Indigenous communities, and particularly Inuit communities.

Greenpeace has not campaigned on the seal hunt for many years, but the iconic campaign Greenpeace started was continued by other organizations, who took the campaign to its culmination in a U.S. ban on seal products and an EU ban on products originating from whitecoats (seal pups). The consequences were devastating for Inuit and other Indigenous communities, for whom the seal hunt is part of their culture and traditions, as well as a critical source of income. Both in 1985 and 2014 Greenpeace Canada acknowledged the harmful consequences of its seal hunt campaign and apologized to Inuit and other Indigenous peoples whose rights to hunt and make a living were harmed.

Greenpeace supports the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples. We support Indigenous peoples rights to hunt on their territories and to make a living from the proceeds. Indigenous peoples have a right to sovereignty over their land and have a special relationship with the land and the animals they hunt. They honour the lands, animals and waters, and Greenpeace respects and honours Indigenous knowledge and relationship to the land, animals, and waters.”