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OTTAWA -- Fisheries and Oceans Canada today announces amendments to the Marine Mammal Regulations mostly related to the Atlantic Seal hunt as published in the Canada Gazette Part II. These regulatory amendments enhance conservation, improve management and ensure the seal hunt is conducted in a more humane manner.
The regulations were developed based on extensive consultations and submissions from more than 80 organizations, and Aboriginal groups, as well as a wide range of industry stakeholders including representatives of the commercial seal industry, scientists, academics, provincial and federal officials, conservation and animal rights groups and veterinarians.
The amendments include:
Amendments to hunting methods to establish a clearer determination of death before bleeding and skinning, which is meant to ensure that all animals are checked quickly for death after they are shot or clubbed, as suggested by veterinarians;
The extension of the application of existing gear restrictions to commercial sealing throughout Atlantic Canada, which would prevent the use of nets for any commercial sealing and would ensure a consistent standard;
A requirement to land either the pelt or carcass of seals taken by commercial or personal use sealers, which makes it illegal to harvest a seal for only smaller parts, such as flippers or organs;
The establishment of separate licences for commercial and personal use sealing, which would allow for distinct seasons and closures based on having reached the established allocation among the various users; and,
The establishment of a licence for vessels greater than 65' to collect seals from other vessels, which imposes licence conditions to collect, transport and process seals or seal parts hunted by sealing vessels and prevents large vessels from being used as sealing platforms.
The establishment of licence and licence prerequisites to allow the killing of nuisance seals,
where there is a danger to property and reasonable deterrence efforts have failed, or where they are inflicting great damage on migrating fish stocks in estuaries, fishways, or river areas.
The current Marine Mammal Regulations were consolidated in 1993. To improve their effectiveness and relevancy, changes were required to adapt them to the current conditions of the harvest. In May 1999, the department held the Atlantic Sealing Regulatory Review Forum in
St. John’s to provide participants with the opportunity to share their views and provide input on a number of specific regulatory proposals derived from prior consultations that began in
October 1998. Based on the results of the forum and further consultations, the department submitted six proposed amendments (above) to Treasury Board which were subsequently published in the Canada Gazette Part I on March 5, 2002. The public was again invited to express their views and comments (30-day window). The proposed amendments secured Cabinet approval March 19, 2003 and went into effect March 20, 2003.
Copies of the approved amendments to the regulations can be found in most public libraries and in bookstores selling government publications. They can also be found at the Canada Gazette Internet site at
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/index-e.html.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION: |
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Sophie Galarneau
Manager, Media Relations
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Ottawa
(613) 998-1530 |
Caroline Quinn
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Ottawa, (613) 992-3474 |
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NR-HQ-03-17E |
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