I should take a moment to mention one thing currently going on up in Canada which I am decidedly against, the big seal hunt. Having grown up in Iowa, I have seen many a pig and cow slaughtered in my day, and there is no moral distinction between a cow and a seal (or a dog for that matter) in my mind, but few of those cows or pigs were less than 3 months old. Also, it was done somewhat humanely - the basic procedure in a slaughterhouse for example, is that the animals are led into the first room of the plant, given a strong electric shock to stun them, and then get a high-powered bolt through their skull, quickly and definitely killing them. This is not the case with the seals. Further information can be found here and here, and though I don't expect many of you are buying a lot of Prada or Louis Vuitton products anyway, they do use the seal skin so if you don't like the seal clubbing you ought not patronize them.