原文：https://vegnews.com/2020/4/norway-and-canada-give-green-light-to-cruel-seal-hunts-during-coronavirus-pandemic

注：译文谨供参考。

NORWAY AND CANADA GIVE GREEN LIGHT TO CRUEL SEAL HUNTS DURING CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

挪威和加拿大罔顾冠状病毒流行继续纵容残忍的海豹捕猎

Despite full or partial lockdowns due to the COVID-19 outbreak, seal hunts are moving forward as “essential” services.

尽管新型冠状病毒疾病（COVID-19）爆发已造成了当下全部或部分封城的局面，但海豹捕猎活动依然打着“必要”服务的旗号再次上演。

by NICOLE AXWORTHY

作者：NICOLE AXWORTHY

APRIL 10, 2020

2020年4月10日

Commercial seal hunts in Norway and Canada have been given the green light to continue as “essential” activities despite full or partial lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic. In Norway, the Ministry of Fisheries recently announced that this year’s harp seal hunt can proceed with a quota to kill 18,548 seals. The only concession to COVID-19 infection risks is that no animal welfare inspectors are allowed onboard hunting vessels, contrary to usual practice.

在新型冠状病毒大流行导致全部或部分封城的情况下，挪威和加拿大依然放行商业海豹捕猎，并将其视作“必要”的活动。挪威渔业部最近宣布，今年可以继续捕猎格陵兰海豹（harp seal），并定下了猎杀18,548只海豹的配额。然而，今年不再允许动物福利检查员登上捕猎船了，这一反常态之举是迫于COVID-19（新型冠状病毒疾病）感染风险而实行的唯一措施。

Animal-rights groups Humane Society International (HSI) and Norwegian group NOAH have written to the Norwegian government to express their dismay at the hunt being permitted during a global pandemic. As well as the hunt breaching social distancing recommendations, the absence of an inspector raises additional animal-welfare concerns for a hunt that has seen several animal cruelty convictions in the past.

国际人道协会（HSI）和挪威NOAH动物权利组织已致信挪威政府，就其在全球流行病蔓延期间准许开展捕猎活动的做法，表达了他们的惊愕和不满。捕猎活动不但违背目前的社交疏离（social distancing）建议，而且缺少检查员的现场监督也增加了更多的动物福利问题，毕竟捕猎活动在过去就发生过多起虐待动物行为被定罪的案件。

Along the Atlantic Ocean in Canada, the commercial seal hunt has been allowed to continue despite most people in the country being under strict public health measures to limit the spread of COVID-19. In addition to the threat of hunters, harp seals in Canada are already at risk due to climate change melting the sea ice habitat on which they rely for breeding. Whale hunts in Japan are also scheduled to continue.

加拿大也批准了其境内大西洋海岸的商业海豹捕猎，尽管该国大部分人正在实施严格的公共卫生措施，以遏制新型冠状病毒疾病（COVID-19）的蔓延。除了面临猎人的威胁外，加拿大境内格陵兰海豹的境况早已堪忧，因为气候变化导致其赖以繁殖的浮冰栖息地日渐融化消失。日本也计划继续开展捕鲸活动。

“It’s disturbing to think that while all over the world people are making extraordinary sacrifices to stop the spread of COVID-19, whalers and sealers are carrying on with their bloody business as usual, risking infection spread amongst crews and their families,” Claire Bass, executive director of HSI in the United Kingdom, said. “We urge the Norwegian, Canadian and Japanese governments to call an immediate stop to these cruel and unnecessary hunts.”

“尽管全世界人民为阻止新型冠状病毒疾病（COVID-19）的蔓延正在做出巨大牺牲，但是捕鲸者和猎海豹者依然我行我素重操其血腥行当，让全体船员及其家属处于感染流行病的风险之中，这些情况实在令人感到不安，”英国国际人道协会（HSI UK）的执行总经理（Executive Director）克莱尔·巴斯（Claire Bass）说道。“我们敦促挪威、加拿大和日本政府下令立即停止这些不必要的残忍捕猎活动。”