Nigel Barker: “It’s Incredible How Quickly Children Learn”
Fashion photographer Nigel Barker is passionate about his career, his family, and now, more than ever, the environment. Selected in January as the spokesman for the Humane Society of the United States’ "Protect Seals" campaign, Nigel, 36, is using his role to call for an end to seal hunts that take place in Canada each year.
"I want my son to grow up in a world where we respect the planet, and the animals," Nigel said in a recent interview with CBB. "He should inherit a world that has the same animals I grew up with."
In his role as spokesman — a post previously held by Sir Paul McCartney — the America’s Next Top Model photographer took an entireproduction crew to Canada earlier this year to document the hunt, and presents the images he collected in a new exhibition, "A Sealed Fate?" running through Sundayin New York City. (The exhibition will travel to Los Angeles, Miami and other U.S. cities later this year.) Nigel will be meeting with local schoolchildren and their families throughout the weekend, to discuss ways they can learn to protect the environment. "We just want to educate children on how amazing the planet can be, and is," he says.
As for the reaction and awareness of Nigel’s son Jack, 2 ½, "There’s only so much he can take in. But it’s more about general respect for the animals." Nigel and his wife, model Cristen Chin Barker,33, are expecting a daughter on December 1st, and are teaching bigbrother to-be Jack about how he can make a difference on this planet."You’re never too young to start," says Nigel. "Your children watchyou, and it’s incredible how quickly they learn. They see how aCoca-Cola can goes into the recycling bin, not into the trash can, andso on."
Photo courtesy of Nigel Barker.
- Posted on Jul 24, 08 at 11:00AM
- Permalink
- 22 Comments
July 24th, 2008 at 11:29 am
I have trouble with these sorts of “save the seals” campaigners who then turn around and buy a burger at the local McDonald’s. If he hopes that his children will grow up to have the opinion, “To not hurt animals”, then I certainly hope that they do not consume, use, or wear animal derived products. If that is in fact the case, then I apologise sincerely for my little rant.
July 24th, 2008 at 11:56 am
I don’t think this is the forum for issues of the seal hunt. But anyone who has been to the east coast of Canada, knows it is illegal to hunt white coats like seen in the picture. Those who participate in the seal hunt are often fishermen who have no income through the winter. It is economically vital to the region
July 24th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
i’m sorry but the way they kill those seals is cruel. their is no other way to describe it but ghastly and cruel. i wouldn’t have half the problem with it if it were done in a more humane and less brutal manner. i have seen videos of what goes on and it is beyond disgusting and is unimaginable that people actually do this and in some videos i have seen seem to really enjoy it. it’s sick sick sick!!!!!!!!!! there has to be other forms of livlihood in canada.
July 24th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
How do we know that Nigel eats at McDonalds? Or any meat at all, for that matter?
July 24th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Nicola, the meat from MCdonaldns doesnt come form seals. To the second post by “a”, it may be necessary economically to the region, but if you will look deeper into the issue, you will learn that the biggest issue is the way they are killing them, the extremely cruel and painful death. Its horrible to kill any animal for economical reasons, but if it’s already necessary, then there are better ways to kill an animal in a more human way and definitely they cannot kill the babies like they do now. It’s also horrible that there are still sport hunters allowed to kill bears and grizzlies just for fun.
On another note, Nigel is the sexiest man alive, seriously.
July 24th, 2008 at 12:51 pm
Molly,
I am aware that McDonald’s serves beef. I simply wish that people would be honest. I lived in Newfoundland for many years while undertaking my graduate degree. I got tired of all of the “Its inhumane!” self-righteousness from people (always outsiders) who walked away in their leather shoes and had pork chops for dinner. Is the treatment and horrific deaths suffered by chickens, pigs, or cattle any more humane? NO!
If people would simply say, “Baby seals are cute, I really like them and hate to see them killed” (which, as mentioned above, is ILLEGAL), “but I really don’t care about other animals because they’re not cute and I enjoy hamburgers”. If they’d been raised eating seal meat, then the hunt would be no different to them than the equally inhumane slaughter of cattle at the local abattoir.
July 24th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Please keep politics out of CBB. The issues surrounding the seal hunt on the East Coast of Canada are more complex than what the protesters present.
“”I want my son to grow up in a world where we respect the planet, and the animals,” Nigel said in a recent interview with CBB. “He should inherit a world that has the same animals I grew up with.”"
-There are millions of seals off the coast of Newfoundland. They are not in danger of becoming extinct. Thousands of people’s livelihood depends on the seal hunt in Atlantic Canada.
CBB and Kate, I think this post breaks some of the ground rules that CBB tries to uphold with its comment forum. Would you be comfortable expressing the personal thoughts contained in this article (”The government-subsidized hunt is particularly cruel…”) to the faces of the fisherman and the fisherman’s families in Atlantic Canada who depend on their seal hunting income for survival? Or to Newfoundlanders, for which sealing is an integral part of society and culture?
Please consider editing or removing this post.
July 24th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
I thought the CBB was supposed to be politically neutral? Describing the Maritime seal hunt as “vicious” in the paragraph above is tremendously biased and unfair. Canada has quotas and regulations to ensure that the hunt is both humane and sustainable long-term. The only reason the seal hunt gets this much press is because urbanites see the seal pups as “cute”- and because some mal-informed celebrities do too.
July 24th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Nicola you CANT compare an abattoir, where animals are RAISED for meat production and are killed in one quick action (normally a bolt to the head)- to clubbing wild seals to death. It can take MANY minutes of severe agony. Not a valid arguement in my opinion.
I dont eat ANY meat- quite frankly, animals are my friends and I find it horrible to think I would kill anything to satisfy my belly. Lots of other yummy options that dont require that. But I dont lecture my meat eating family or boyfriend every time they cook a steak either- they have to live with the fact they are murderers, not me! LOL.
Thank goodness he is bringing some attention to this, so it can be stopped sooner rather than later.
And yes, he is seriously HOT!!!
July 24th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
i eat meat and my child will eat meat. it has been happening since the start of time. there is a food chain. unfortunately, i canot hunt, forage, nor make my slaughter a ritual as respect for the animals i consume. as mentioned, killing for sport is wrong. God put these animals on this earth so that we can live, survive and be nourished. I will not turn down what he has put on this earth for me to eat.
July 24th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
I don’t disagree that God intended for people to eat animal meat.
But in this day of factory-farming and mass overproduction and cruelty, I prefer to buy organic meat, even I can afford less. The conditions some animals are subjected to are unimaginable. I don’t want to be a part of it.
And Nigel is cute. So is the seal.
July 24th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Seals are the issue du jour because they’re cute and bleed dramatically on the white snow. Take issue with the use of an akapik if you like, and I could simpathize with that point of view. However, seals are not of more worth than any other animal. Fish suffocate to death, lobster are kept stacked and banded in tanks for days, and cows know the end is coming. Our Innu people eat seals, wear seals and sell seal products and live on the proceeds. Anyone who denies this based on the word of activists has simply not been to the Eastern Arctic. Yes there are other ways to make a living in most parts of Canada. However, for members of a society based on mass consumption of manufactured goods, manufacturing being the greatest polluter and user of resources on earth, it takes hypocrisy to criticize people, Innu or simple-living East Coasters, who leave virtualy no human footprint. Here we are on this site, with our materialism, worshipping celebrity, and we dare to criticise those who just make a small living, put food on the table, and keep their sence of self. Hunting is practiced by a great number of species on this planet, and aeons later, Earth continued. It wasn’t till mass production and insatiable, selfish consumerism that now we are destroying ourselves. Healer, heal thyself.
July 24th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Shmoo- ALL animals should be killed humanely. By “humanely”, I mean as quickly and as painless as possible.
Clubbing seals to death is not the right thing to do- PERIOD. No one can come on this site and try to justify this behaviour. All animals are as important as each other, and should NEVER have to endure that kind of pain and suffering.
Sometimes I wonder how humans ended up being so cruel?
July 24th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
I don’t think the issue is killing animals for meat. The issue is the inhumane way in which these seals are killed. They are clubbed to death! I don’t see how anyone can think it’s anything but horrific. These seals don’t have a voice or any form of self-defense.
July 24th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Like I said, I have sympathy for banning the akapik (spiked club). I absolutely do not want animals to suffer. My meat, now that I’m not veggie, is free range or wild (the ultimate free range organic). I meant my point to be about hypocrisy. A spike attached to a hammer through the front of the head (cows)or a spike on a club through the back of the head (seals). Boots out of seal, or a giant bag that takes up half a cow and goes out of use next season when bags get smaller. There should be no distinction when morals are laid on.
July 25th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
The thing that gets to me the most with clubbing BABY seals is that nature gave this baby seal that beautiful white coat to PROTECT it from danger, yet it is that very white coat that is leading them to be clubbed brutally, in front of their WHALING mother. (yes, i have seen video footage where a mother seal is litterally CRYING as she sees her baby brutally bludgeoned to death). These seals are very young and have no chance to a life…only so that some greedy ignorant person can wear their fur. It’s disgusting. I PERSONALLY do not believe in eating young animals and I do not agree with the way animals are being treated in slaughterhouses etc…but nowadays we have the option to buy humanly raised meats..do your research..find out where your food is coming from..be grateful that you have food to eat, treat animals with kindness, and don’t kill an animal just to hang its head over a mantel or wear it’s fur.
I have nothing but respect and admiration for people like Nigel.
July 25th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Oh My GOD people..I am from Newfoundland..IT is not going on allllll Over Canada..#1
There are no oceans in the west where I am living currently.
And some of these people are fisherman that depend on the meat for their livelihood. Not only that but those documentary’s were closely monitored and did not depict a very good picture of Newfoundland..We do not allllll fish there. But like Maine it is a fishing community as are seals. What the heck is this doing on Celebrity Baby Blog anyway? I don’t think this should be a debate on here.. And now this is throwing me over the edge. I agree with Nicola..You guys with your pretty shoes and McDonald’s burgers need to get your head out of the clouds..Unless your a vegetarian..Please spare us your comments..I don’t particularly agree with it either. But it is a way of life. My grandparents were from a small outport in Newfoundland and ate Rabbit Stew. Plenty of fish. Grew their own vegetables. And livestock..My grandfather had to get other people to kill his cow he had cause it broke his heart to do it. He became like a pet to him. So we are not all barbarions like you make us out to be..You have not even been there..So keep your comments to yourselves. I bet most of you are from the city with nothing better to do than complain as you walk to your local grocery store and buy your prepackaged meat. Think about that cow or pig that was slaughtered for your meal! geez
July 25th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Terralyn, you don’t understand the point of what you are saying. Most of the people don’t dispute the killing of animals for meat. As mentioned, God intended for us to eat meeat (he did intend it for other animals too, although the humans go against his intentions and kill the animals (bears, sharks etc) who end up killing a person)
the point of this issue is the way the animals are dying. Noone is disputing your way of life, that your people shouldn’t be eating fish or meat, and stuff. Noone says you are barbarian (you missunderstood)
I can give you couple of examples to help you understand the point of this problem:
- sport shooting of bears. Hunter pays $$, then shoots the bear, sometimes takes the trophy with him, sometimes leaves it on the ground. Mothers with cubs are not spared
- killing elephants for tusks. The elephant is killed, the tusks are cut of and the animal is left behind
- cutting of the shark shins. Shark is caught, shin is cut of and the shark is returned but slowly dies with horrible death cuase he can’t steer (i think) and all the people living in the countries where it happens scream that its the way of their life
So nothing wrong with eating meat, but there must be a stop put to the horrible suffering animals are exposed to by humans and Nigel is on its way to help it
July 25th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I agree that the manner in which these seals are killed is horrific. I think that is what most people are commenting on. And animals in slaughterhouses endure a lot more suffering than just a “bolt in the head” when slaughtered. It is a short life full of abuse. I don’t think that is what God intended for them (as some of you say). I just wish people would become more educated on what goes on and maybe you would have a change of heart. Like Paul McCartney has said “if slaughter house had glass walls, everybody would be a vegetarian. By the way, I’m vegan and feel like I can live my life with a clear conscience.
July 25th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Stacy I completely agree- I feel much better knowing Im not adding to the cruelty.
There is no way God put animals on this earth to be fed hormones and be slaughtered at 3 weeks old as chickens do, or live crammed in crates as Cows do for Veal- they have no sunlight, NO SPACE to even turn around- there is NO WAY god put them on this earth to be treated like that. People really need to do more research into what they are eating- it would make you think twice.
I think its great CBB brings these issues to our attention to be talked about. No-one said you are “Barbarians” for eating meat- but when you condone the brutal clubbing of seals I will call you that with NO PROBLEM at all!
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