The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is
extremely disappointed that the Council of Ministers of the European
Union (EU) has voted to ratify the ban of Canadian seal products going
into Europe. The Federal Government has announced that it will now
initiate trade action through the World Trade Organization (WTO) by
commencing 60 days of consultations with the EU before taking the issue
before a WTO panel. These are the requirements of the WTO process.
"Our government is fully in support of the trade
action being taken by the Federal Government," said the Honourable Tom
Hedderson, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. "This trade ban is
completely unjustified and blatantly disregards international trade
agreements, as well as principles of conservation and sustainability
that are used across the globe. Our government has advised EU officials
of the implications of this decision from both trade and conservation
perspectives. The EU is now clearly in violation of international trade
agreements and we understand that they have legal opinions to that
effect."
On May 5, the European Parliament voted to pass
legislation that would ban the importation of Canadian seal products.
The ratification by the Council of Ministers is the final step to
enacting that legislation, which means that the ban is now official. The
legislation approved by the council includes an exemption for Aboriginal
groups.
"The legislation enacted by the Council of Ministers
has no basis in science and demonstrates no understanding of the
regulation of the Canadian sealing industry," said Minister Hedderson.
"The Canadian seal harvest is important for reasons of environmental
management and conservation as seal populations are at a record high.
This will have serious negative consequences for the recovery of
groundfish stocks."
Canadian harp seals alone consume 7 million tonnes of
fish annually. This is equivalent to almost 10 per cent of the world�s
harvest through wild fisheries. As well, the harp seal population sits
at 5.6 million animals or approximately three times what it was in the
early 1970s.
According to the EU legislation that was just enacted,
it is acceptable to cull seals in Canada for population control but not
for commercial use.
The EU ban is a serious threat to an industry that
employs approximately 6,000 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. The
province�s sealing industry has been valued at up to $60 million
annually, including primary harvesting and secondary processing
activities.
"Fortunately the legislation does allow for
transshipment of Canadian seal products through Europe," said Minister
Hedderson. "The major markets for this industry have been in Russia and
China for some years now. Even though those markets have been hard hit
by the global financial crisis, our government will continue to work
with the sealing industry to build those and other markets. This
industry is and must remain an important source of income for people in
rural and coastal areas of the province."
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