Fast Facts on the Hunt

A summary of the key issues surrounding the Canadian seal hunt, including information about the hunt, economics of the hunt, what the public think and the global political response.

Statistics

Details of the number of harp seals killed and landed in Canada yearly since 1971. Plus statistics about UK Trade and the hunt.

Public Opinion

Results of surveys conducted in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United States and Canada.

The Economic Value of the Canadian Commercial Seal Hunt

By Rebecca Aldworth, Humane Society of the United States

The true economic value of Canada’s commercial seal hunt stands in sharp contrast to the high level of financial and other support it receives from the Canadian government. As government statistics highlighted in this article show, the commercial seal hunt is an economically marginal activity, and its negligible value could be easily replaced by the federal government.

Why the Government of Canada Supports the Commercial Seal Hunt

By Rebecca Aldworth, Humane Society of the United States

In light of the high level of public opposition, and the potential threat to other industries, many people ask why the Canadian government continues to defend and support the seal hunt. The answer is rooted in a history of fisheries mismanagement and the current political situation in Canada.

Seals and Fish

It is a widespread misunderstanding in parts of Canada and elsewhere that the slaughter of seals in Canada is undertaken to protect fish stocks and allow for the recovery of the Atlantic cod.

Read how extensive research is beginning to destroy the simplistic myth of seals vs cod.

Eyewitness Report, 2006 Update

By Mark Glover, Campaigns Director, Respect for Animal

“This April I was in Canada where I bore witness, once more, to the largest wild mammal slaughter on earth. My heart was yet again broken from the scenes I saw.”