Government should seal deals to open new markets for Canadian seal products: Senate report

The federal government must secure a sustainable future for Canada’s seal harvest by supporting measures that increase the annual harvest, revitalize the seal products industry, improve seal population management and maintain healthy ocean ecosystems, the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans said in a report released May 23, 2024.

“This report is our call to action to secure a viable future for Canada’s seal industry. Decades-old import bans, fuelled by lies about the seal harvest, have seriously harmed the livelihoods of remote, coastal and Indigenous communities. Had this occurred to any other major Canadian industry, Ottawa would have jumped to defend it. The government has no more time to waste.” – Senator Fabian Manning, Chair of the committee

The report, Sealing the Future: A Call to Action, comes after a critical study of Canada’s seal populations. The study revealed the federal government has neglected the commercial seal harvest, contributing to the steep decline of the country’s once-vibrant sealing industry and to the ecological disruption in Canada’s oceans. A bigger commercial harvest would benefit remote, coastal and Indigenous communities in the North and on the East Coast where seal harvesting holds deep social, cultural and economic importance and is one of the few industries in which community members can participate. A revitalized seal products industry could strengthen local economies and sustain families, the report said.

The federal government must secure a sustainable future for Canada’s seal harvest by supporting measures that increase the annual harvest, revitalize the seal products industry, improve seal population management and maintain healthy ocean ecosystems, the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans said in a report released May 23, 2024. 

“Ecological data on Canada’s seal populations is lacking and much of what exists is outdated. That’s why the committee is calling on the government to bolster its seal science and marine research capacity, so policymakers better understand the effects seal populations have on ocean ecosystems and food webs.” – Senator Bev Busson, Deputy Chair of the committee

Regrettably, persistent anti-sealing propaganda remains a major obstacle for the industry. Various animal welfare groups continue to spread lies about the seal harvest, e.g., that the practice is inhumane and unsustainable. The committee heard Canada’s seal harvest is guided by rigorous animal welfare principles and most seal populations can sustain well-managed commercial harvests. Nevertheless, more than 30 countries — including all the European Union countries and the United States — maintain import bans on commercial seal products, with devastating consequences for remote, coastal and Indigenous communities. 

“For too long, anti-sealing groups have controlled the narrative about Canada’s seal harvest with incendiary language and misleading information. We cannot allow this to persist without consequences: tax dollars should not be used to bring a historically and culturally important industry to its knees.” – Senator Colin Deacon, member of the committee

That’s why the committee is calling on the government to implement a domestic and international campaign to promote Canadian seal products and open new markets. The committee is also recommending that the government take measures to ensure registered Canadian charities and non-profit organizations that continue to spread lies about the sealing industry have their tax-exempt status revoked. 

“Canada’s commercial and traditional seal harvesters are fighting to stay afloat. The federal government must take the lead in working with other levels of government and stakeholders to educate the public about the seal harvest, to promote Canadian seal products and to develop markets for those products at home and abroad.” – Senator Rodger Cuzner, member of the committee 

Well-managed seal populations are essential to maintaining balanced ocean ecosystems. To that end, the report recommends that the government put in place an effective and sustainable seal population management strategy within the next six months, and that it improve its capacity for marine and fisheries research. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has not collected the data needed to draw conclusions about the effects of seals on fish stocks, despite the fact the committee heard that seals eat 22 times as much fish as is commercially harvested. 

Quick Facts

• Indigenous peoples, particularly Inuit, have harvested seals for subsistence for thousands of years. Approximately 90% of Canada’s seal harvest occurs in Nunavut. 

• While the committee heard that Fisheries and Oceans Canada remains reluctant or unable to quantify the effect of seals on fish stocks, the department conceded that grey seals are known to be negatively affecting some groundfish stock recovery. An adult seal can eat 1,000 kilograms of fish and seafood per year — and in some cases, more. 

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada no longer sets new limits for the number of seals that can be harvested annually. With many international markets closed off due to import bans on seal products, very few harvesters participate in the seal harvest today. Between 2018 and 2022, only 1% of the total allowable catch was landed for the grey seal harvest and only 7% was landed for the harp seal harvest.