Canada’s last recognized source of exports for seal products is now marginal, the Senate fisheries committee was told. “It’s very hard to sell a product that tugs at the hearts of people,” said an executive with a Nunavut authority representing Inuit hunters.

“Inuit source exemptions have failed to counteract the negative impacts of trade bans on the practices, lifestyles and livelihood of Nunavut Inuit,” testified Paul Irngaut, vice-president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. Seals are now hunted mainly for protein, he said.

“I think the image of the harvest on the East Coast really hurt our cause to some extent,” said Irngaut. “I just want to point out that we harvest seals to eat them.”

The European Union in 2009 imposed a ban on Canadian seal exports. Resulting losses of sales cut the value of the Atlantic harvest from $34.3 million a year to a few thousand dollars.