An appeal for seal: Supporters say it's time to review bans on 'sustainable' industry

One of the surest signs of spring in Newfoundland and Labrador is pure white sea ice clinging to the coastline as far as the eye can see.

And where there's sea ice, there are harp seals — lots of them. 

They use the ice to give birth to their young from late February to mid-March.  

New estimates from Fisheries and Oceans Canada put the current population of harp seals at 4.7 million.

Fisheries managers allow some 400,000 harp seals to be harvested annually, but the allowable catch hasn't been taken in the past 15 years.

These days, hunters take only about 40,000 seals because of international bans that have dramatically reduced access to markets. The United States has had a ban on seal products since 1972, the European Union banned seal products in 2009, and the Chinese market also has restrictions.

But while the sealing industry struggles to stay alive, it's a way of life that continues.

Eldred Woodford, president of the Canadian Sealers Association, has been eating seal his entire life. He's frustrated that more people don't see the value of an abundant food source just off the coast.

"It's a waste of a resource. That's what it is," he said. 

"It's a shame that we've come to this situation now where we're only harvesting 10 per cent.… Rural outport communities can well use the economic revenues from this." 

Fifteen years ago there were four companies buying seal in Newfoundland and Labrador, but today there's only one — Carino Processing Limited in Dildo. 

CEO Dion Daikins said the pelts are a major part of the business, but where he sees the greatest potential is in seal oil. It's full of healthy omega-3 fatty acids that can be marketed for humans and pets.

"We're presently in a global shortage of marine-based omega-3s. There's roughly one million tons of fish oils primarily produced globally, and with the collapse in the anchovy fisheries, particularly in Peru and Chile, we're sitting in a real unique period where the demand is just extraordinary," Daikins said. 

"The challenge we have on the seal products is that it's been stigmatized."

The refinery equipment was a $5-million investment for the company, and last year Carino exported to 14 countries including Japan, Korea, Kazakhstan, Turkey and Iceland.

Daikins said they put a lot of energy into the Canadian market at home, but there's no denying the bans in Europe and the United States.

"When we get it into the market and we can alleviate the trade barriers, I think that's when you'll see the growth —whether it's for the meat, the oils or the skins," Daikins said. 

'The definition of green'

Both harvesters and vendors say with only one buyer and processor left in the province, the time has come to press countries to review their bans of seal products. 

Jen Shears owns Natural Boutique in St. John's, where she sells all kinds of clothing and footwear made from seal. 

"We really think here it's our mission to educate people, and to help be ambassadors for the products for the province," Shears said. 

Her entire staff has taken the Humane Harvesting course for sealing — the very same course that sealers take to be able to participate in the hunt.

"I wanted them to be able to explain how regulated the harvest is, and how humane it is," she said. 

Shears says she believes the global community has greater knowledge about sustainability now and thinks it's time for seal bans to be reviewed.

"From an economics perspective, from an ecological perspective, from a societal perspective, it's like 10 out of 10 frustrating for me," Shears said. 

"It's a renewable resource. It yields biodegradable products. It's the definition of green. It helps rural communities. It's basically everything the world wants these days in terms of their values."

Sen. Fabian Manning is chair of the country's senate committee on fisheries and oceans.

This past fall he brought senators to Newfoundland and Labrador to hear about the sealing industry first-hand.

They met with harvesters on wharves, toured the seal processing plant, visited the sealer's museum in Elliston and viewed stores that sell seal products.

The immersion in the industry had an impact, and when the senate committee met with federal Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier in February, most senators let her know they wanted change.

The only thing endangered here are sealers, plant workers … [people] who rely on the sustainable use of this resource.- Dion Daikins

"I have also held discussions recently with the American and Japanese ambassadors about economic opportunities for trade in seal products," said Lebouthillier. 

"We will continue to work with Indigenous, commercial and international stakeholders on this issue to find a path forward to an economically beneficial outcome in the future."

The focused attention has been a boost to harvesters like Woodford who have long feared the industry will die. 

But if you ask Daikins, the last remaining seal buyer in Newfoundland and Labrador, the movement is urgent. 

"The only thing endangered here are sealers, plant workers … [people] who rely on the sustainable use of this resource. That's the only thing near extinction."

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