Canada's annual seal hunt begins -- this time, with a higher quota

TORONTO — Canada's annual seal hunt got under way Thursday despite a dwindling market for pelts and other byproducts following a European Union import ban and slumping demand.

Nelson Kalil, manager of communications at the Fisheries and Oceans Canada department, said about 30 to 40 boats are expected to head to Newfoundland and Labrador's northern tip to participate in this season's seal hunt, the world's largest.

The department has increased this year's seal hunt quota by 50,000 animals to a total of 330,000 because hunting restrictions have resulted in a rising seal herd population, estimated at 6.9 million -- more than triple what it was in the 1970s.

However, Frank Pinhorn, executive director of the Canadian Sealers Assn., said sealers will take a fraction of the annual quota because only one of the four regular purchasers is buying harp pelts this year.

"We expect 20-25 percent of the quota will be harvested so they'll probably bring in 50,000 to 60,000 out of the 330,000 quota," Pinhorn told The Associated Press.

Canadian hunters killed an average of 300,000 harp seals annually before the industry began experiencing dramatic drops in catches in recent years.

Depressed prices, a lack of fur buyers, leftover stock and animal rights groups' anti-sealing campaigns have impacted the industry. The recent recession has further softened the market for seal products.

Fewer hunters went out last year because pelt prices bottomed out at $14 compared to more than $100 per skin only a few years ago. A pelt is now valued at around $23-$25.

The latest and probably most severe blow to the hunt has been the EU's ban on seal products. The ban -- an effort to force Canada to end its annual hunt -- was finalized last July and will take effect in August.

Fishermen sell seal pelts mostly to the fashion industry in Norway and Russia, as well as blubber for oil. The hunt exported around $5.5 million worth of seal products, including pelts, meat and oils, to the EU in 2006.

Canadian Inuit filed a lawsuit in the European General Court against the EU over its import ban, saying it threatens their livelihood. Canada has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization, arguing the ban is a violation of the EU's trade obligations.

The fisheries department said China imported $1.1 million in Canadian seal fats and oil last year, along with pelts manufactured into boots and other clothing.

Canada has been looking to China to increase exports but has not announced any new deals.

Climate change is also having an impact on the hunt.

An exceptionally mild winter in the Gulf of St. Lawrence has left the waters off the coast largely free of the ice that is harp seals' main habitat and where they give birth.

The Humane Society International Canada, which is in Newfoundland to observe this year's hunt, says that  record low sea ice formation off Canada's east coast will likely result in exceptionally high pup mortality this year.

"Harp seals are facing an ecological disaster. The ice habitat of these ice-breeding seals is literally melting out from under them," said Rebecca Aldworth, the society's executive director.

-- Associated Press

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Photo: A seal pup on the ice floes off Iles de la Madeleine in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 2006. Credit: Tom Hanson / Associated Press

Comments

[DavidfromNL]

I think it's terrible that you have a picture of a seal pup in this article. It gives the wrong impression to those who may not know much about sealing other then what they've heard on TV or from lowlifes like the Sea Shepherd Foundation.

[joe]

"Fishermen sell seal pelts mostly to the fashion industry in Norway and Russia"

No one needs a seal fur coat.

[Steve]

As a Canadian I have no problem advising all Americans to BOYCOTT everything Canadian if you want to see this stop. That means tourism, Canadian made products and energy derived from our filthy Alberta TAR sands. Many of you probably already know this but Canadians are some of the world's greatest hypocrites who somehow manage to fly under the radar. Time to call them out!

[virg]

sick, sick, sick. Shame on you Canada, looking to China? The Chinese don't care one finger for those poor suffering animals, they are a perfect market... makes me want to throw up. Greed at its worse.

[Clive Dove]

The photograph of the baby seal (aka "white coat") is deliberately misleading.

Had the LA Times done the most basic research it ought to have known that the harvesting of white coats was banned in 1987.

[David Gelinas]

When most people read the stories about the Canada seal hunt. The picture that enters into thier minds is this unbelievable cute white creature with two little button eyes with silk whiskers.They grow at a very fast rate, within a year they are fully grown. Their diet consists of 10-15 lbs of fish and shellfish everyday. Times this by 6.9 million seals everyday(everyday) No one brings up the fact that on the eastern shores of Canada the salmon and cod stocks are already depleted to the point there is no commercial fishing left. Every year when the weather is mild there is no ice, the polar bears cannot harvest hardly any seals. If the seal population is left alone, the count will double every 2 years. We will have so many seals and no lobsters or scallops left.I wonder if they still will look so cute.

[SLS]

Stop this barbarism! The whole world is against it! Why do they continue with this cruelty?

[Rejean]

The photograph accompanying the article is misleading because readers may jump to the conclusion that baby seals (called whitecoats) are being slaughtered when in fact the killing of these pup seals has been banned since 1987 by the Canadian government.

[Rick]

Looks like no seal flipper pies in Cornerbrook this Spring. . . . .

[pasadena jag]

Such sweet animals. Too bad they are hunting the hunters!

[Mike]

No wonder nobody like Canadians....

[Joan]

Please join millions around the globe in boycotting anything Canadian -- products, travel, hockey game attendance, even Bieber -- until the government halts this barbaric practice.

[james andrews]

Claims of pup mortality as the article points out the population has tripled in the last 40 years despite the hunting? Do the libs really think everyone is an idiot?

[Greg Maragos]

First, a disclosure: I, personally, love to eat meat and own several leather jackets. However, I am also married to an animal-loving vegetarian. That said, the manner in which these defenseless creatures are killed is foul and ought to be illegal, period. I do realize that seal over-population is a serious problem, but these animals do have natural predators, namely killer whales. White sharks hunt seals, too, but, of course, they incline to much warmer waters. The fact that the Chinese can't get enough shark fin soup doesn't help the situation. All of that aside, there just has to be a better way of dealing with this situation than by clubbing their babies over the head.

[Andy]

Stop this barbarity, it's horrific and so pre 1800's. It's time the people of the world moved up a level and found new ways to support themselves with foods that can sustain them while being ecologically sound and in tune with the environment rather than resort to such acts of barbarism in the twenty first century. Let nature deal with balance and humans deal with getting off this planet.

[h]

Okay I think of myself as a hard guy but my god how can you even think of hurting this animal. Just looking at this photo melts my heart.

[JMG]

This is a sick, barbaric, old-way-of-thinking tradition that needs to be stopped. Canada should be ashamed of itself for allowing such cruelty to go on in it's country!

[sandra m]

Many of us are boycotting Canadian products until their government prohibits the annual slaughter of harp seals. When the slaughter ends, we will make up for Canada's loss in revenue by going on a "Buy Canada" binge.

[Gilda]

Beating baby seals to death...

Would we let them do this if they were beating puppies or kittens to death?

No, we'd have them up on animal abuse charges and put them in prison.

Interesting double standard.

[s]

What have we done to the world?

[bearson bear]

Shame on Canada...

[slayerfan66]

club soda, not seals.

[Frixx]

I will not buy anything from Canada until this slaughter is stopped.
But the Canadians have issues.
Good thing Canada has a lot of room, because if the Canadians lived in a country the size of California, they would have slaughtered each by now. They all hate each other, Calgary hates Ottawa, Ottawa hates the Quebecers and BC, Quebec hates anyone outside of Quebec, and everyone hates the New Foundlanders (newfies).

By contrast Californians get along pretty well with each other.

[Jeff in Vancouver]

Once again, the usual ignorant American media portrays the seal hunt in a wrong fashion. As usual, whenever a story pertains to Canada, the mostly ignorant American media (and citizens, for that matter) twist a story around without the full facts to make us look like the bad guy. The picture of a seal pup is totally misleading and for once and for all, the killing of baby seal pups has been BANNED since 1987.

Why does the American media never talk about killing its own CITIZENS with the legalization and Hollywood glorification of guns and killing people.

I'd rather have an adult seal killed than my fellow man.

Hypocracy by the American media at its best. Surprised the article didn't say that the hunters support terrorism, like the American media always does with Canadians.

[michelle]

Hey David from NL, So the Sea Shepherd are low lifes? Why becasue they try to protect the lives of animals who are being clubbed to death so that people like you (th ereal low lifes) can make money. Go get a real job and stop kiling helpless animals!!!
Oh And David Gelinas, what you are describing is the result of global warming adn by the way if you want more salmon, build some salmon farms adn stock clubbing innocent animals to death just to help you kill other creatures - salmons and other fish. When are you people going to realize that animlas were not put on this earth just to feed and clothe us.

[jason]

i think its cruel this should come to a complete end..killing helpless animals for the love of money. lets stop this NOW!

[CINDY COLLIER]

THIS IS SO EVIL AND VILE. WHY ON EARTH KILL THEM, THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL CREATURES. THEY ARE EVIL DOING THIS. PLEASE STOP THIS NOW AS THERE IS NO NEED FOR IT. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS, PLEASE.