A. Species
Scientific name: Pagophilus groenlandicus
Common name(s): Harp seal
Global IUCN Red List Threat Status: Least Concern
B. Location of use
Geographic location(s):
- Labrador
- Greenland
- Arctic Sea
Country/Region: Canada / Atlantic & Arctic
C. Scale of assessment
Scale of assessment: Sub-national / Sub-region / Sub-State
Name/Details of location: Atlantic coast of Canada (Greenland, Labrador)
D. Timescale of use
Start Year: 2016
End Year:
E. Information about the use
How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat
Type of use: Extractive
Practice of use: Hunting and/or Trapping of live terrestrial and aerial animals
Lethal or non-lethal: Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of: The whole entire organism
Purpose(s) of end use: Food and feed and Decorative and aesthetic
Motivation of use: Basic subsistence, Income generation from trade (individual/household/community), Largescale commercial exploitation for trade, Recreational, Traditional/Cultural/Spiritual and Population/Area Management
Is this use legal or illegal?: Legal by customary law
F. Information about the Users
Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people and National / local government
G. Information about the sustainability of use
Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: Seal populations are monitored and annual quotas set by the Department of Fisheries and Ocean Canada (DFO) . The issuance of sealing licenses is strictly governed by the Commercial Fisheries Licensing Policy for Eastern Canada (1996), created under the authority of the Fisheries Act (Lafrance, 2017). From a ringed seal population projected to number between 1.5 and 3 million, an estimated 30 000 are harvested annually (GN, 2012).
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Laws were first enacted in 1895 in Newfoundland to protect dwindling seal populations. In 2008, new laws aimed at ensuring a more humane seal harvest required sealers to follow a three-step, science-based process of striking, checking, and bleeding the seal (DFO, 2011). Since these regulations have been put in place,the harp seal population has tripled and currently stands at 7.4 million animals (Lafrance, 2017).
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: this study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The Inuit have hunted bearded seals, harp seals, ringed seals, and harbor seals for thousands of years. However, ringed seals are the most commonly sold to markets. Seals are part of Inuit identity, culture, and spirituality. Seals are a vital and culturally relevant food source for the Inuit—other nutrition options are often expensive, scarce, and nutritionally deficient. The Inuit do not need a license to hunt seals year-round, consequently no records exist to provide the number of hunters participating in the fishery and the number of seals taken.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: this study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The Inuit have hunted bearded seals, harp seals, ringed seals, and harbor seals for thousands of years. However, ringed seals are the most commonly sold to markets. Seals are part of Inuit identity, culture, and spirituality. Seals are a vital and culturally relevant food source for the Inuit—other nutrition options are often expensive, scarce, and nutritionally deficient. The Inuit do not need a license to hunt seals year-round, consequently no records exist to provide the number of hunters participating in the fishery and the number of seals taken.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: this study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The Inuit have hunted bearded seals, harp seals, ringed seals, and harbor seals for thousands of years. However, ringed seals are the most commonly sold to markets. Seals are part of Inuit identity, culture, and spirituality. Seals are a vital and culturally relevant food source for the Inuit—other nutrition options are often expensive, scarce, and nutritionally deficient. The Inuit do not need a license to hunt seals year-round, consequently no records exist to provide the number of hunters participating in the fishery and the number of seals taken.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: this study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: In 2008, new laws aimed at ensuring a more humane seal harvest required sealers to follow a three-step, science-based process of striking, checking, and bleeding the seal (DFO, 2011).
Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species
The “Certification and Market Access Program for Seals' (CMAPS).
Record source
Information about the record source: scientific_pub
Date of publication/issue/production: 2020-01-01T00:00:00+0000
Source Reference(s):
Date of record entry: 2022-11-08