A survey of Canadian citizens explores public attitudes toward seal hunts in Canada; over two-thirds (68%) oppose the use of tax dollars to support the commercial sealing industry in Canada.

The majority of Canadians (68%) oppose the use of tax dollars to support the commercial seal hunt. Moreover, 71% disapprove of the use of tax dollars to challenge the European Union seal product ban at the World Trade Organization, and nearly three-fourths (73%) say that the federal government should no longer support the commercial seal hunt and leave its future to its own merits. The government costs of the seal hunt are estimated to be three times the value of the hunt itself.

Further, 75% of Canadians disagree with the use of tax dollars to fund organizations that support the seal hunt, however 84% approve of the use of tax dollars to support a program that would help sealers transition into other employment opportunities.

Data from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ 2011-2015 Integrated Fisheries Management Plan for Atlantic Seals (Excerpted from article):

• Number of commercial sealing licenses – 6,000
• Number of sealers who participated in 2010 commercial seal hunt – 390
• Number of companies who process seals – 4
• Landed value of seal pelts in 2010 – $1.2 milion
• Landed value of “other” products including meat and oil in 2010 – $60,000
• Export value of seal products in 2010 – $2.1 million
• Total value of the seal industry in 2010 – $3.4 million
• Annual cost for Department of Fisheries and Oceans to monitor the hunt – $1 million
• Cost to fight the EU ban on seal products at the WTO -$10 million
• Cost to tourism, other trade areas and Canadas reputation – Unknown but likely significant