Killing seals is a business – a disgusting business, with the skins making the biggest profits from this business. Seal oil for human consumption is a smaller industry. The profits of the seal industry go primarily to boat captains and sealskin processors. In a few years, sealers can earn several hundred dollars; In other cases, even sealing masters and independent sealers can hardly break even. Yet the Canadian government continues to support this industry, even though the majority of Canadian taxpayers do not want their tax dollars to be used in this way. Because they remained completely unchallenged. Sophisticated and well-funded activist groups were pursuing an easy target: northern Inuit populations with little money, few communication skills, and even less knowledge of what lay ahead. They were blind. And the global fur industry has made a conscious decision to sacrifice sealskin so that the rest of the trade is not tainted by its poor public relations. It is better to cut off a limb than to infect oneself, was the reasoning. Of course, animal advocates have since come for the rest of the fur trade, not to mention the meat, dairy, and biomedical research industries. It was a failed strategy that let Inuit sealers blow in the Arctic wind. Please keep an eye out for sealskin smuggling.
It is a dense and somewhat rough coat. It smells of burnt hair when illuminated with a match or lighter. In 2010, sealers reported receiving a maximum of 21 $CAN for the best skins. In 2011, they declared the same price. This information predates most national bans on the import of seal products. The Secretary is authorized to enter into arrangements with any public or private body or person to implement the provisions of the Convention and this Subchapter, including, but not limited to, the removal of fur seals in the Pribilof Islands and the drying and marketing of sealskins and other parts of seals. and may retain the proceeds thereof. Although most of the world`s fur comes from fur farms, there is a significant illegal wildlife trade. In particular, tigers and leopards, two endangered species, are hunted illegally in Asia for their fur. While there have been coordinated international efforts to reduce poaching and strengthen law enforcement, there have been some setbacks. For example, China legalized tiger farming in 2007.
However, CITES, an international treaty between 175 countries that identifies endangered and threatened species, regulates trade in these species and contributes to the protection of these species. Annual catches of harp seals have increased in recent years to about 80,000 seals in 1999. Canada and harp harvest harp seals and crested seals from the same populations. The governments of Canada and Greenland exchanged information on each other`s hunts and agreed to continue these exchanges to review harvesting activities and strengthen conservation. For example, discussions are under way with Greenlandic scientists about a possible joint satellite tagging programme to better define population movements and boundaries. “Inuit were confused and deeply hurt by people`s efforts to ban the seal hunt because the seal hunt was as central to their lives as shopping in a supermarket for urban Canadians,” said Peter Kilabuk, first secretary of Nunavut`s Department of Sustainable Development, in a 1999 speech to North American furriers. The following information is provided by Industry Canada. Figures represent exports of raw sealskins in Canadian dollars. Note: After 2006, Canada removed the category “raw seal skins” from the published statistics in favour of “raw hides – not reported elsewhere”, which also included pelts of other animals.
A trick to keep the world`s real seal hunting information secret? The total value of exports of the fur industry to Canada increased from $CAN 185,309,841 in 2001 for “raw furskins” to $CAN 242,556,390 in 2005. According to Industry Canada, the value of processed and tanned hide exports increased from $CAN 216,081,324 in 2001 to $CAN 286,760,595 in 2005. The value of sealskin exports (see table above) represents approximately 5% of the total value of the Canadian fur industry. In 2001, the Canadian fur industry was valued at $335 million, and sealskin accounted for only a small portion of the Canadian fur trade. Canada appears to be the last outpost for the hunting and sale of sealskins. Again, marine mammal skins are banned on Canadian eBay, but they appear to be legal for furriers, so it can be concluded that Canada is also the last outpost to sell your vintage sealskin items. While eliminating demand for sealskins is an important part of ending seal slaughter, it is not the only way to ensure that this industry becomes unprofitable.
