Ensuring a Sustainable and Humane Seal Harvest - Nunavut ...

Other Management and Enforcement IssuesThe Committee heard complaints that the Annual Forum on Seal HarvestManagement, now held annually, took place at locations and times inconvenient for manyharvesters. Recent fora were held in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador inNovember 2005 and in Halifax, Nova Scotia in January 2007. Several sectors active in theseal harvest were apparently not represented, and therefore their points of view were notfully considered. The Committee believes that, in the future, consultation sessions shouldbe held where the fishermen and harvesters are located, and at times of the year that areconvenient to them.In 2006, DFO established a TAC of 2,000 animals for personal use. According tothe Department, since 1995 residents adjacent to sealing areas throughout Newfoundlandand Labrador and Quebec (sealing areas 5 to 20) can harvest up to six seals for personaluse. There were 1,761 personal use seal licences issued in 2002. The Committee believesthat this practice should continue as long as harvesters continue to be trained and hold theproper licence. Currently however, personal use harvesters are not allowed to sell the sealpelt as a by-product of their activity; the Committee believes this situation should be reexamined.Increase in the Grey Seal Population and the HarvestOn May 30, 2006, the Committee heard from the Grey Seal Research andDevelopment Society about concerns over the increasing grey seal population and DFO’sapproval of a commercial harvest of 10,000 grey seals over two years along the AtlanticCoast of Nova Scotia. Dr. Mike Hammill, a research scientist working for DFO, told theCommittee that “back in the 1970s there were probably 20,000 grey seals in all of AtlanticCanada. Today the population has increased to [between] 250,000 [and] 260,000 and thelargest concentration is found around Sable Island on the Scotian Shelf. Probably abouttwo-thirds of the population is on the Scotian Shelf and one-third in the Gulf ofSt. Lawrence.” 51The grey seal is one of the six species of seals found off the Atlantic coast ofCanada. It is much larger than the harp seal. For the Northwest Atlantic grey sealpopulation, the male measures up to 2.3 m and weighs 300-350 kg, and the femalemeasures up to 2.0 m and weighs 150-200 kg. Pups weigh 11-20 kg at birth and areweaned at about three weeks of age. Grey seals feed on a wide variety of fish,crustaceans and cephalopods. But more importantly, when compared to the harp seal,grey seals are present and feed in the Gulf and on the Scotian Shelf year round.51Mike Hammill, Committee Evidence, November 9, 2006.21