The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is taking
its case on the proposed European Union (EU) seal product ban to the EU
representatives in Ottawa this week. The EU has been considering
legislation that could potentially end the sale, transshipment and
marketing of Canadian seal products in Europe.
Last week, the Honourable Premier Danny Williams wrote
letters to a number of ambassadors of EU member states to make them
aware of the facts regarding the province�s sealing industry. This week,
the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, is
in Ottawa to speak directly with as many EU representatives as possible.
The minister will be addressing the fact that the proposed ban is a
violation of international trade agreements, the role that the seal
harvest plays in fisheries conservation and the facts about animal
welfare in the Canadian seal harvest.
"Having met with the Canadian Sealers Association in
Rocky Harbour this past week, I know that this is a critical time for
our province�s sealing industry and our government is doing everything
possible to ensure a future for the industry," said Minister Hedderson.
"The proposed ban is a violation of World Trade Organization (WTO)
agreements. Now that the future of our sealing industry hangs in the
balance, our government is making sure that our voice is being heard by
people who are in a position to influence the outcome of the vote on the
proposed ban."
The minister will meet with several EU representatives
including Giovanni di Girolamo, Acting Ambassador and First Secretary
for the EU; Ambassador Paul Christensen of Denmark; Ambassador Ingrid
Iremark of Sweden; Ambassador Ginte Damsus of Lithuania; and Per Oystein
Vatne, First Secretary of the Embassy of Norway. The minister will also
meet with Senator Celine Hervieux-Payette of Quebec.
The Canadian seal harvest is one of the best managed
harvests of animals anywhere in the world and is completely sustainable.
The Canadian seal herd is currently estimated at 5.6 million or
approximately three times what it was in 1970. The proposed ban is a
very serious threat to the 6,000 sealers and their families who depend
on the industry in Newfoundland and Labrador. Sealers have stated that
up to 35 per cent of their annual income is from the sealing industry.
The sealing industry was valued at approximately $30 million within the
province in 2008. This value fluctuates depending on global supply and
demand of seal products and has been as high as $60 million.
"The sealing harvest is also important for reasons of
environmental protection and conservation," said Minister Hedderson. "A
number of European nations themselves have to engage in annual seal
culls in order to limit damage caused by seals to fish stocks. This
makes us question whether an end to the Canadian seal harvest would
achieve the animal welfare and protection that animal rights groups seem
to be pursuing."
In 1992, a moratorium was declared on the harvesting
of North Atlantic cod and other groundfish stocks. This was economically
devastating for the province. Most groundfish stocks remain at low
levels. If the seal harvest no longer continues for commercial reasons,
Canadian seal herds may still need to be harvested for ecosystem
management. If seals are not harvested, they will impede the recovery of
fish stocks that are important to both Canada and the EU. Harp seals
alone consume roughly 7.0 million tons of fish annually, which is more
than 10 times Canada�s total annual seafood exports.
"Our government has long enjoyed a very productive
trading relationship with many of the EU member states," said Minister
Hedderson. "At this critical time for the future of the Canadian sealing
industry, I am asking Members of the European Parliament to make an
informed decision when voting on the proposed ban on the importation of
Canadian sealing products. I would also ask that they review the clear
evidence that the Canadian seal hunt is both sustainable and conducted
in a humane manner."
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Media contact:
Lori Lee Oates
Director of Communications
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
709-729-3733, 690-8403
oatesll@gov.nl.ca
2009 03 30 11:20 a.m.