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Seals
Management
The
federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans is responsible for the management of
marine mammals in Canada. Seals are
a renewable resource, which can be harvested humanely at levels based upon sound
conservation principles. The
objective of the Canadian government's seal management program is to ensure the
survival of stock in order to maximize the socio-economic, cultural and
aesthetic benefits to all Canadians, particularly sealers.
Sustainable use is compatible with an ecologically conscious world.
Seal
hunting is of paramount importance to the continuation of the Inuit's
resource-based way of life. Seals
are hunted for food, and their skins provide material for clothing, such as
kamiks, mitts and parkas. Prior to
the ban on importation of seal products by the European Economic Community,
sealskins from the Northwest Territories earned about $500,000 annually for the
Inuit. By 1985/86, this had dropped
below $30,000. Alternative
employment opportunities for these hunters are limited or non-existent. Over the past several years, efforts have been made to revitalize the
sealing industry in the NWT as a means of providing a livelihood to hunters in
smaller Northern communities.
Laws governing the use of seals within Canada's 320-km limit are found in
the federal Seal Protection Regulations. A
Marine Mammal Export Permit is required to transport untanned sealskins out of
the Northwest Territories. This
permit is issued free of charge from the Departments of Fisheries and Oceans, or
Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development.
Permits are not required for worked hides, such as tanned sealskins,
handicrafts or articles of clothing. However,
the United States Marine Mammal Act prohibits the importation of any seal products into
that country.
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