Cute furry animals are just the thing needed to create a hot issue – especially when it comes to baby seals with their white pelts and huge liquid eyes. However, while celebrities and politicians are willing to take a stance on the Canadian seal hunt, few people are throwing themselves across shark carcasses to stop the wasteful practice of finning. Just a thought, and now back to the cuddly mammals.
In late March, Canada announced the quota for the 2009 commercial harp seal hunt – 280,000. While this is a slight increase from last year, it is similar to the limit set for 1997-2002. There are smaller quotas for other seal species, including hooded seals (quota=8,200) and grey seals (quota=50,000).
Over the years, arguments and conflict have surrounded the hunt. In part, the image of a tiny white fluffy seal has been central to the debate. However, newborn harp seals (whitecoats) have not been hunted since 1987. Once pups have moulted and lost their white fur, they can be hunted – this is usually around the age of two to four weeks.
The seal hunt takes place from March to May, including areas around the Magdalen Islands and Prince Edward Island and then moving off the east coast of Newfoundland. Most of the quota (70%) is allocated for the Newfoundland region.
This year, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has spoken out in favour of the hunt. The impetus is a new ban on seal products endorsed by the European Union. The ban still needs to be approved by individual European countries but is likely to come into effect in October. While seal products would be shipped through Europe, promotion of seal-derived items would be restricted. Up to now, the EU has bought about 15% of Canadian seal exports. Most seal skins go to Norway, which is not an EU-member. As for seal meat, blubber, and oil, South Korea, Japan, China, and the US have been the main importers. Seal oil is a rich source of omega-3 and is used to produce supplements (check your labels).
Traditional seal hunts are exempt from the EU ban, although it would prohibit commercial trade in seal products from these hunts. In addition, small, non-commercial hunts (such as culling for management purposes) would also be exempt with similar bans on any seal products that resulted.
On the one hand, some locals feel that the seal hunt is both traditional and sustainable, given an estimated harp seal population of 5.6 million. It is an industry in a region with few other economic alternatives. However, the payoff is likely to be disappointing, as seal pelt prices have been dropping over the past few years – from $105 in 2006 to a projected $15 in 2009. The booming omega-3 market may offset this decline.
While it is true that a small number of Newfoundland sealers depend on the annual hunt, critics point to other issues wrapped up in the seal hunt. For a start, there is the question of cod. For years, it seemed that thriving harp seal numbers were blamed for the continuing low cod population. This is not the case – the Department of Fisheries and Oceans states that the seal hunt is totally unrelated to cod management.
Then there is the question of economic feasibility. Some critics argue that the seal hunt has reached its natural end. Perhaps a better focus would be creating initiatives for sustainable and long-term employment opportunities in coastal areas. Maybe there is too much politicking around the whole emotive topic. Just as families and communities have had to find alternatives to traditional employment across the country and around the world – think about the demise of coal-mining, lumber, cod-fishing, whaling, knitwear mills, and much more.
Photo credit: sandipt@Flickr.com
