British rock singer Morrissey has joined those opposed to the seal hunt, saying he won't perform in Canada as a protest.

"I fully realize that the absence of any Morrissey concerts in Canada is unlikely to bring the Canadian economy to its knees, but it is our small protest against this horrific slaughter," said Morrissey, the former frontman of the Smiths.

The British singer – who was born Steven Morrissey but is known by his surname only – has just released his new single You Have Killed Me and is gearing up for a world tour to promote his new album Ringleader of the Tormentors.

Morrissey issued a statement on his website Monday condemning the annual hunt and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's defence of it.

"The Canadian Prime Minister says the so-called 'cull' is economically and environmentally justified, but this is untrue," the singer writes. "This slaughter is about one thing only: making money."

Morrissey also alleges that Harper "states that the slaughter is necessary because it provides jobs for local communities."

"Construction of German gas chambers also provided work for someone – this is not a moral or sound reason for allowing suffering," he said.

The 46-year-old singer concludes his message by calling for his fans to boycott Canadian goods, saying that Canada has "placed itself alongside China as the cruelest and most self-serving nation."

Harper has defended the hunt as humane and said that Canada has been targeted by "an international propaganda campaign" by opponents.

Morrissey is the latest entertainer to criticize the hunt. Earlier this year, former Beatle Paul McCartney and his wife Heather Mills McCartney visited Charlottetown to campaign against it and appeared on CNN's Larry King Live to debate Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams.

Brigitte Bardot, who first criticized the seal hunt in the 1970s, returned to Canada last week to visit Ottawa and renew her protest.

Over the years, other celebrities have also joined in the protest, including Martin Sheen, Richard Dean Anderson, Mick Jagger and Pierce Brosnan.

The annual hunt began in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on Saturday. The hunt at the Front, off the northeast coast of Newfoundland, is set to begin this weekend.

© 2006 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation