We know, we know ... we've heard this a million times before. Canada initiated their longstanding annual seal hunt recently, which once again caught the attention and ire of animal activists around the world. Not so surprisingly, Morrissey has a few things to say about it.

Moz issued a statement on True to You, as he does from time to time, and brutally blasted Federal Fisheries minister Gail Shea, who had her spokewoman respond in a way that accused the former Smiths frontman of using his celebrity status to start a fire with misinformation.

And of course Morrissey couldn't let that go, so he fired another round in the battle, this time issuing a lengthy discourse.

Here it is in full:

"Canada: right of reply

There was something more than slightly desperate in Gail Shea referring to my recent comments on the annual Canadian seal slaughter as "ignorant", as reported in Canada's National Post.

Speaking on behalf of Gail Shea, Sophie Doucet - showing symptoms of the same Shea disorder - stated: "I would urge Mr. Morrissey to consider the impact that his ignorant and inflammatory statements have on the livelihoods of thousands of hard-working men and women in rural communities". I should remind Sophie Doucet that building and maintaining the Concentration Camps of Auschwitz also provided livelihoods, but this hardly made the Camps warranted. Let it also be added that the vast financial benefits of the seal slaughter are not directly intended for those hard-working men and women in rural communities, who, in fact, are merely used by the Fisheries Minister to do the messy task of searing flesh.

Further, Sophie Doucet's shrill tension claims that my anger against Canada's carnival of death: " ... is clearly just another case of a millionaire celebrity, desperate for a hobby".

I can assure Sophie Doucet that I know more about the seal hunt than I wish to know, and only by suppression of humanity could anyone look away and not care. Also, whether a challenge comes from a millionaire or from someone who is homeless is a remark that would only be made by someone of imperious ignorance, who cannot develop the moral debate, and whose own personal financial agenda comes before the lives of thousands of healthy beings.

More importantly, Gail Shea is so constantly absorbed by challenges and counterchallenges of her actions and beliefs that we must wonder why it has not yet occurred to her that she might be doing something wrong. The answer, as it usually is, would be the impossibly constricted mania for financial profit - at any price.

In Western culture, there is no acceptance of the Canadian seal slaughter, and simply because someone bears the badge of Minister does not insulate them from being a disreputable thug. Murder is not debatable, and the people of Canada must speak up and stop this carnage in order to restore the global image of their country. As ever and as always, it is always up to the people to put things right.

Morrissey
23 April 2014
Los Angeles."

Morrissey has been a vocal critic of animal-rights abusers for years, even refusing to play Los Angeles' Staples Center unless they went totally meat-free for the evening. The argument for outlawing seal hunting is a relevant one and is growing in support, but we could have done without Moz's Auschwitz comparison.

Either way, it doesn't look like anyone's going to budge on this issue anytime soon. So let's just enjoy Morrissey back in 1994, performing 'The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get' on 'Top of the Pops':

More From Diffuser.fm