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HUMANE HARVESTING
The killing of any animals, whether they are domesticated or wild, is never pleasant to watch. Society makes use of many different animals for food and clothing. In this sense, the harvesting of harp and hooded seals is not fundamentally different from the exploitation of livestock.

Seal hunting methods have been studied and approved by the Royal Commission on Seals and Sealing. The Commission found that the methods used in hunting seals compare favourably to those used to hunt any other wild or domestic animal. These methods are designed to kill the animal quickly.

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ECONOMIC BENEFITS
The harp and hooded seal hunt provides valuable income to about 12,000 sealers and their families in eastern Canada, particularly in some Newfoundland communities that lack many employment opportunities.

Sealing and fishing have been time-honoured traditions that allowed people to provide for their families through knowledge of the marine environment and hard work. The seal hunt helps isolated towns and villages in the winter season when there are few economic alternatives.

The 2002 seal hunt was the most profitable in memory. The landed value of seal products was over $20 million, with many more millions of dollars being generated from economic spin-offs (estimated total value of $48 million).


Aboriginal peoples have hunted seals for food, fuel and clothing for hundreds of years. Today the seal hunt is of importance to aboriginal peoples for food, social, ceremonial and economic purposes.