一支由兩個環保團體，一為歐洲議會成員及數位自由記者組成的參訪團，13日在加拿大白朗薩布隆受到約60名海豹獵人的阻撓，將他們包圍在旅館內，防礙他們對獵海豹季的觀察。而同樣的在拉布拉多鎮，亦防礙一架戴著反獵海豹人士的直升機降落。
加拿大海豹商業狩獵活動有兩階段，一是三月下半在聖勞倫斯灣舉辦，另一次較大規模的年度狩獵則晚數星期舉行，地點在名為「前線」的紐芬蘭島和拉布拉多半島海岸。
美國人道協會（HSUS）資深副主席格蘭第（Dr. John Grandy）表示：「此地發生的悲劇就是殘酷殺害海豹，獵人們想將這些暴行對全世界隱瞞，只是更加深這項罪惡。」
國際動物福利基金會（IFAW）表示，加拿大漁業暨海洋部容許聖勞倫斯灣的獵人捕獵超過規定數量近20%，超過捕獵規定數量並沒有任何罰責，而漁業暨海洋部官員也沒有調整目前的捕獵數量以反應濫捕的情形。
國際愛護動物基金會海豹運動負責人佛羅瑞斯表示：「做為國際愛護動物基金會，我們的角色是告訴全世界這件殘忍行為正在上演，並且鼓勵大眾對加拿大政府施壓，永遠終結這種行為。」
數個環保團體利用聯合抵制到加拿大觀光，試圖終結狩獵活動。動物之友總裁佛瑞表示：「我們呼籲各地的人們都不要前往加拿大觀光，直到加國政府停止這不幸的海豹狩獵活動。加國政府設下狩獵數量，但是政府基金卻又支助殺戮，這些資源必須改變方向，用以建立一個實質的加拿大海岸居民經濟基金會。」
一旦停止殺戮海豹，佛瑞表示該團體會支持優質的生態旅遊活動。佛瑞表示：「旅遊業者如『棲息地探索』和『野外探險旅遊』等公司1990年代以來發起的活動，如觀賞海豹和生態旅行等，是解決該省15%失業率更好的對策。當捕鯨社群調整其經濟模式，就證實了這個策略的可行性。我們將繼續支持完善、謹慎的生態旅遊業。」
About 60 sealers and fishermen in Blanc-Sablon today prevented a seal hunt observation team from two environmental groups, with a member of the European Parliament and several independent journalists, from observing the seal hunt by keeping them under seige in their hotel. Others in a Labrador town were able to keep a helicopter filled with anti-sealing activists from landing.
Canada's commercial seal hunt has two phases, the hunt in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which begins in late March, and the largest part of the annual hunt, which opens several weeks later on the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, known as the Front.
"The tragedy here is the cruel slaughter of the seals and having sealers try to hide it from the world only compounds the grievous wrongs," said Dr. John Grandy, Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) senior vice president.
IFAW says the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) has allowed the Gulf of St. Lawrence sealers to go nearly 20 percent over their DFO quota. DFO quota. There is no penalty for going over the quota and DFO officials did not adjust today's hunt quota to reflect the overrun.
Regina Flores, IFAW's seals campaigner said, "As IFAW, our role is to show the world that this is happening and encourage everyone to pressure the Canadian government to end it once and for all."
Several environmental groups are attempting to end the hunt with a boycott of travel to Canada. Friends of Animals president Priscilla Feral said, "We ask people everywhere to avoid travel to Canada until its government stops this miserable seal slaughter. The government sets the kill quotas. Government funds assist the kill. These resources must be redirected to build a real economic foundation for Canada's coastal residents."
Once the seal killing ends, Feral says the group will support ecologically sound travel to Canada. "Seal watching and ecotours, launched in the 1980s through businesses such as Habitat Adventures and Travel Wild Expeditions, are a much better bet to address the province’s 15 percent jobless rate," said Feral. "That was proven when the whale-killing communities adjusted their economy. We have and will support careful, prudent ecotourism."
