Senator Terry M. Mercer

Thank you for taking the time to write to me and for your interest in the work of Senators and the Senate of Canada. As a Canadian senator, I have examined the issue of the seal hunt closely with an objective eye. I DO support a sustainable and humane seal hunt and I will NOT be supporting Senator Harb’s Bill.

Canada’s seal hunt is both humane and sustainable and those people who oppose this hunt need to hear the facts. Studies done by the World Wildlife Fund and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association have shown that that hunt can be performed in a humane way and the regulations that govern the hunt follow the recommendations of those reports.

Canada's sealing industry is heavily regulated, much like other agricultural industries (for example, cattle processing plants). These regulations are in place to ensure that the sealing industry is sustainable, humane, and commercially viable.

Furthermore, regulation also ensures that the traditional way of life for Canada's coastal communities is protected; the thousands of Canadians throughout the North, the Atlantic Provinces and Quebec who depend on the sealing industry for their livelihood can continue to do so for generations to come. In particular, some Aboriginal communities depend on the seal hunt not just for food but also for fuel and clothing. As such, the long term sustainability of the seal herd is a matter of life or death to some communities.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has been monitoring the seal herd since the 1970's to ensure that it continues to thrive along Canada's East Coast. Studies have shown that in the last thirty years the size of the seal population in Canada has grown from 2 million seals to over 5.5 million seals. Successive governments have also put regulations in place to govern the seal hunt that take into consideration the recommendations given to it by the World Wildlife Fund and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. Even the leading international environmental organization, Greenpeace, has said that the harvest of seals under Canadian management poses no risk to the herd’s sustained viability.

Often, the images that are used of the seal hunt are out of date and pre-date current regulations. I encourage you to ensure that the images are in fact real and not “doctored” to suit the purposes of some organizations that consistently provide false and misleading information. However, I cannot stress enough that:

1. The killing of seal pups is illegal and has been so since the late 1980's;

2. The Royal Commission on Seals and Sealing studied the methods used to kill the animals and found that the methods used are comparable to the methods used to kill poultry or cattle by commercial slaughterhouses; and

3. Sealers are well trained in humane hunting methods and are largely responsible and law-abiding hunters.

Regulations and licensing policies are in place which monitors hunting seasons, quotas, vessel size and method of dispatch. Sealers who do not follow the rules are subject to criminal charges.

I would encourage you to engage in an open and honest dialogue on controversial topics such as the seal hunt. It is in this spirit that I would urge you to take a look at the website for the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/).

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write to me. I hope that you continue your interest in the protection of our wildlife and I hope that I may have provided some insight into this topic. However, I will re-iterate that I will continue to support a balanced and sustainable approached to the seal hunt and I will continue to work hard to ensure the hunt is conducted in a safe and humane manner.

Yours sincerely,

The Honourable Terry M. Mercer
Senator (Northend Halifax, Nova Scotia)

EU Official


Thank you for your email concerning the opinion of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) on the proposal for a regulation regarding trade in seal products and its total ban by the Rapporteur Frieda Brepoels. As a member of the ENVI Committee, I stand up for the interests of environment and animal protection; as for instance in the case of seals and a wise handling of hunting.

First of all, it is important to distinguish between the broad-based slaughter of seals outside the EU and the traditional hunt in moderate extent in the Nordic countries of the EU like Inuits do. Within the EU, seal hunting is already subject to strict and detailed regulation covering participation, hunting seasons, vessels and methods of slaughtering. In addition, there are quotas set. Calculated by specialists these quotas ensure that the overall seal population continues to thrive.

In order to protect the seal population the broad-based commercial slaughter of seals is to repress. At the same time it is important to take the consensus on an important exception into consideration: As Inuit people make a living of hunting seals they shall further on have the chance to hunt these animals in a controlled way. I am convinced that this regulation is a balanced solution regarding the seals and their habitat as well as the indigenous people.

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Richard Seeber

Dr. Richard Seeber
Member of the European Parliament (EPP-ED)
ASP 08F161
Rue Wiertz 60
1047 Brussels
Tel: +32 (0) 2 28 47468
Fax:+32 (0) 2 28 49 468

Senator Alison Deacon

I would like to thank you for being part of our efforts to end the commercial seal hunt in Canada. Bill S-229 has now been introduced in the Senate and we are working to build support amongst Canadian Senators.



My colleagues need to know how you feel about the commercial seal hunt and so I urge you to contact your Senator, and Senators from across the country to ask them to support my motion to move the bill to Second Reading. http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/senmemb/senate/isenator.asp?Language=E



Together, we must ensure that each Senator understands that the majority of Canadians want the commercial seal hunt in Canada to end. Thanks once again for your support for the Harb Seal Bill.

Senator Alison Deacon

Rodger Cuzner, M.P. Nova Scoita

Thank you for your e-mail regarding the commercial seal hunt. I appreciate having your comments on this important issue. I recognize that this is a sensitive issue for both those concerned about the ethical treatment of animals as well as those for whom seal hunting is a source of livelihood.

The seal hunt is an important industry for thousands of Canadians throughout the North, Atlantic Canada and Quebec. Seals have been harvested for food, fuel, shelter and other materials for hundreds of years and the subsistence hunt is a valuable link to Canadian cultural heritage.

In 2007, I took part in an extensive parliamentary study on the commercial seal hunt as a member of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. Our report, titled “Ensuring a Sustainable and Humane Seal Harvest” can be found at the following link:

http://cmte.parl.gc.ca/Content/HOC/committee/391/fopo/reports/rp2872843/foporp04/foporp04-e.pdf

As you will read in this report, the current seal population is estimated at close to 6-million (2005 estimate), up from about 2-million in 1970. This population increase has created a number of concerns with regard to the impact on groundfish stocks in the Atlantic region.

I fully support all recommendations in the report, and believe it is important to strike a balance between protecting the livelihood and cultural significance of those who participate in the seal hunt while ensuring that the seal hunt is continually monitored so that it remains humane and sustainable.

I would encourage you to take a look at the information presented in our report. You may also consult the Department of Fisheries and Oceans fact sheet at:

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/seal-phoque/myth_e.htm

Should you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

Rodger Cuzner, M.P.
Cape Breton - Canso
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