Brutal annual seal hunt begins in Canada

Canada began its annual seal hunt this week amid heavy ice conditions off the northwest coast of Newfoundland.

This footage shot by campaign group Humane Society International shows hunters brutally clubbing seals and loading them onto their boat.

According to the campaign group, only 17 boats have chosen to take part in the controversial hunt, which typically focuses on harp seals.

Now that the market for seal products in America and Europe is closed, the hunt is said to be a shadow of what it once was.

The Canadian Government firmly supports the hunt, insisting it is humane, sustainable and economically viable event that’s important to coastal communities.

The Government allows 400,000 harp seals to be killed, despite the low demand for seal fur.

Difficult words: annual (happening every year), club (to hit hard with a heavy object that looks like a thick baseball bat), controversial (people argue about it), a shadow of what it once was (it is smaller now), insist (to say something firmly and often), sustainable (able to continue without damaging the environment), viable (able to work successfully), fur (short, fine, soft hair of an animal).