TORONTO — Morrissey has joined with protesters of the seal hunt, saying he won't tour Canada until the "barbaric slaughter'' ends.

"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,'' the former Smiths front man wrote in a statement posted on his website.

"As the world knows, this slaughter is about one thing only: making money.''

Morrissey is the latest celebrity to voice his dissent. Paul McCartney and his wife Heather Mills ignited a firestorm when they visited Atlantic Canada in early March urging officials to step in to stop the annual seal hunt.

Soon after, 1960s sex kitten Brigitte Bardot followed with a visit to Ottawa.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has defended the seal hunt saying that Canada is the "victim of a bit of an international propaganda campaign.''

Said Harper: "We believe the country is acting responsibly and we'll make sure all rules are enforced.''

Aside from not including Canada on his upcoming tour, Morrissey asked fans to boycott Canadian goods.

"It WILL make a difference. As things stand, Canada has placed itself alongside China as the cruelest and most self-serving nation," he wrote.

The hunt officially began last weekend in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.