Compassion Is His Fashion
As a child in the United Kingdom, Nigel Barker always loved
animals. He thought of one day becoming a zoologist or marine biologist.
As it turned out, Barker would grow up to become a fashion
photographer—and now a judge on America’s Next Top
Model.
Barker never left behind his love for animals though. Today, he combines his photography skills with his compassion for animals. He’s the spokesperson for The Humane Society of the United States’ (HSUS) ProtectSeals campaign. He hopes to use his images of the young seals in their natural habitat to help bring the seal hunt to an end.
In 2008, Barker traveled with The HSUS to the baby seal nursery. (Watch the video here!) "Witnessing hundreds of thousands of harp seals with their beautiful whitecoat pups in this awe-inspiring frozen landscape is enough to take even the most seasoned photojournalist’s breath away," he says.
From Seal Hunting to Seal Watching
Barker also wants to convince the Canadian government that seals are worth far more alive than they are dead. Instead of the seal nursery becoming a hunting ground, it could easily be turned into a tourist attraction. Some seal-watching tours are already available in Canada. Visitors come from as far away as Japan, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Germany to see the baby seals.
"Years ago, the Canadian government successfully turned its commercial whale hunt into a multimillion-dollar whale-watching industry," agrees Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "There is absolutely no reason the government cannot do the same with seals."
A Sealed Fate?
Last summer, Barker created an exhibit to show the public about the seal hunt. Called "A Sealed Fate?", this collection of photos and videos gives an up-close look at the lives of the baby harp seals targeted by the hunt. (See the video!)
"It is a celebration of the seals’ lives, what they are, and their transformation during their short life," Barker says of the exhibit. "I want to bring a spotlight to show people what they look like, right up until they die, so people realize what we are losing."
It’s In Your Hands!
Barker uses his photography to show people both the beauty of the seals and the brutality of the hunt—and inspire people to take action against it. He knows that the real power to stop the hunt lies with young people. "I hope to raise awareness in the youth of today with images of both the joy and desperation from the world’s largest mammal birthing site," he says. "This sort of behavior will not be tolerated by the youth of today and I intend to do something about it."
He’s lived up to that promise to do something about it. Now it’s your turn. Check out the KIND Project for ways you can follow Barker’s lead and speak up for seals.
