A strong seal products industry is good for Canada: Senator Manning
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A sustainable seal harvest, a thriving seal products industry and a well-managed seal population matter culturally, economically and ecologically to coastal communities, Indigenous peoples and the country at large.
For thousands of years, these marine mammals have been an essential source of food, clothing, fuel and income for communities along Canada’s coasts.
Under Canadian law today, specific species of seal can be fished humanely in regulated amounts during subsistence and commercial harvests. Seals harvested for commercial purposes are transformed into a wide range of sustainable, high-quality products — products that support the livelihoods of coastal communities and the success of Canada’s export market.
Seal fur and leather are transformed into a variety of clothing items, accessories and home furnishings. Seal fats and oils, high in Omega-3 fatty acids, are used in health supplements. Seal meat is sold in various cuts for human and animal consumption. Encouragingly, new and emerging markets for seal products are being tested, including the use of seal bait in fishing.
Thanks to a former senator’s bill that passed in 2017, Canadians get to celebrate these products every year on May 20. National Seal Products Day is a wonderful opportunity to recognize and honour the cultural, traditional and economic significance of sealing to Indigenous and coastal communities.
It’s also an occasion to highlight the important contributions of the seal products industry to the Canadian economy. In addition to the products sold domestically, Canada has sold seal products to more than 40 countries. Seal skin exports alone totalled $24.8 million in 2021 and Canada remains the world’s largest exporter of seal products.
However, vocal anti-sealing campaigns and Europe’s ill-founded 2009 ban on the importation and sale of seal products have hampered the industry’s growth. Less demand for those products drove down their value. And as sealing became less profitable, participation in Canada’s annual seal harvest decreased.
In the meantime, the seal population in the Atlantic has been growing and growing. Canada is now trying to grasp what effect more seals in the sea is having on fisheries, fish stocks and the ocean ecosystem at large.
Concerned by these interconnected issues, the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans began a study on Canada’s seal populations and their effect on domestic fisheries in the fall of 2022.
As part of this study, the committee is specifically examining how seal populations have been managed by the federal government, the most appropriate and effective ways of managing seal populations in future, and how research priorities and funding related to seals are determined.
Senators are learning about existing data and science gaps related to fish stocks and the role of seals in ocean ecosystems, technologies that can help track seals and their interactions with other species, how climate change is affecting seal populations, and how Canada invests in its seal products industry.
From the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the committee has learned that the total number of seals that hunters are permitted to catch annually hasn’t been reached for many years, and as a result, the government hasn’t set a total allowance catch since 2016.
The study is ongoing; witnesses so far have included representatives from across federal departments and agencies, as well as scientists and researchers in the field of oceans and fisheries — and the committee intends to hear from more this spring.
As we continue our work, I look forward to learning more about how government and stakeholders can effectively manage our seal populations and support the people who make a living from the oceans for the decades to come.
For today, let’s pause and celebrate the resilience of the seal products industry — and the passionate harvesters, processors, Indigenous communities, artisans, designers and chefs behind it.
Senator Fabian Manning represents Newfoundland and Labrador. He is chair of the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.
A version of this article was published in the May 20, 2023 edition of The St. John’s Telegram.
A sustainable seal harvest, a thriving seal products industry and a well-managed seal population matter culturally, economically and ecologically to coastal communities, Indigenous peoples and the country at large.
For thousands of years, these marine mammals have been an essential source of food, clothing, fuel and income for communities along Canada’s coasts.
Under Canadian law today, specific species of seal can be fished humanely in regulated amounts during subsistence and commercial harvests. Seals harvested for commercial purposes are transformed into a wide range of sustainable, high-quality products — products that support the livelihoods of coastal communities and the success of Canada’s export market.
Seal fur and leather are transformed into a variety of clothing items, accessories and home furnishings. Seal fats and oils, high in Omega-3 fatty acids, are used in health supplements. Seal meat is sold in various cuts for human and animal consumption. Encouragingly, new and emerging markets for seal products are being tested, including the use of seal bait in fishing.
Thanks to a former senator’s bill that passed in 2017, Canadians get to celebrate these products every year on May 20. National Seal Products Day is a wonderful opportunity to recognize and honour the cultural, traditional and economic significance of sealing to Indigenous and coastal communities.
It’s also an occasion to highlight the important contributions of the seal products industry to the Canadian economy. In addition to the products sold domestically, Canada has sold seal products to more than 40 countries. Seal skin exports alone totalled $24.8 million in 2021 and Canada remains the world’s largest exporter of seal products.
However, vocal anti-sealing campaigns and Europe’s ill-founded 2009 ban on the importation and sale of seal products have hampered the industry’s growth. Less demand for those products drove down their value. And as sealing became less profitable, participation in Canada’s annual seal harvest decreased.
In the meantime, the seal population in the Atlantic has been growing and growing. Canada is now trying to grasp what effect more seals in the sea is having on fisheries, fish stocks and the ocean ecosystem at large.
Concerned by these interconnected issues, the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans began a study on Canada’s seal populations and their effect on domestic fisheries in the fall of 2022.
As part of this study, the committee is specifically examining how seal populations have been managed by the federal government, the most appropriate and effective ways of managing seal populations in future, and how research priorities and funding related to seals are determined.
Senators are learning about existing data and science gaps related to fish stocks and the role of seals in ocean ecosystems, technologies that can help track seals and their interactions with other species, how climate change is affecting seal populations, and how Canada invests in its seal products industry.
From the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the committee has learned that the total number of seals that hunters are permitted to catch annually hasn’t been reached for many years, and as a result, the government hasn’t set a total allowance catch since 2016.
The study is ongoing; witnesses so far have included representatives from across federal departments and agencies, as well as scientists and researchers in the field of oceans and fisheries — and the committee intends to hear from more this spring.
As we continue our work, I look forward to learning more about how government and stakeholders can effectively manage our seal populations and support the people who make a living from the oceans for the decades to come.
For today, let’s pause and celebrate the resilience of the seal products industry — and the passionate harvesters, processors, Indigenous communities, artisans, designers and chefs behind it.
Senator Fabian Manning represents Newfoundland and Labrador. He is chair of the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans.
A version of this article was published in the May 20, 2023 edition of The St. John’s Telegram.