Iggy Pop Slams Seal Slaughter From Isle Of Wight Festival Stage

For Immediate Release:
10 June 2011

Contact:
Sandra Smiley +44 (0)207 357 9229, ext 229; [email protected]

Newport – Concertgoers at this year’s Isle of Wight Festival will receive a special surprise when they go to see The Stooges: before the band takes the stage, front man Iggy Pop will show the audience the new print ad he has done with PETA as part of the animal rights group’s campaign against Canada’s annual seal slaughter. The ad, which aims to combat the Canadian government’s attempts to market baby seal fur internationally in order to prop up the dying seal fur trade, will appear on the stages’ electronic screens prior to his performance.

“Clubbing baby seals is sick,” says Iggy in the ad. “Don’t let the greed of a few tarnish the image of the whole country.” Iggy also appears in an exclusive video for PETA US, which is available for preview here.

The Canadian government spends more than £4 million of taxpayers’ money each year defending the controversial seal slaughter, which makes up less than 1 per cent of Newfoundland’s economy. World leaders, including Barack Obama, have spoken out against the clubbing of baby seals, and Canadian seal products have been banned by the US and, more recently, by the EU – a ban that the Canadian government is spending an estimated £5 million to challenge. Members of the European Parliament have publically called on Canada to withdraw its challenge with the World Trade Organisation.

Iggy Pop is part of a long list of celebrities – including Natalie Imbruglia, Sir Paul McCartney, Joan Jett, Pamela Anderson and Kelly Osbourne – who have joined PETA in speaking out against the annual seal slaughter.