8 Apr 2010

Canada's annual seal hunt kicks off

SealsCanada's annual seal hunt has started off the coast of eastern Canada despite a dwindling market for seal products because of a European Union ban on imports.

The harp seal hunt north of Newfoundland and Labrador began Thursday with the quota increased by 50,000 animals to a total of 330,000.

seal_carcasses

Frank Pinhorn of the Canadian Sealers Association says sealers will take a fraction of the annual quota because only one of the four regular purchasers is buying harp pelts this year.

The Associated Press - Also see: harpseals.org