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EU bans seal products, irritates Arctic neighbors

The seal and the EU

The EU Council on Monday officially approved restrictions on the marketing of seal products, arguing that hunting practices are inhuman. That irritates Arctic neighbors Canada and Norway.

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The EU minister in the Council meeting on General Affairs and External Relations yesterday approved the controversial legislation on seal products. According to the regulation, no seal products can from now on be sold in the EU market.

That is a blow both to Canada and Norway, which engage in seal hunting in their northern waters. Also Russia does seal hunting, a major part of it in the White Sea. None of the countries will from now on be able to sell their products to EU member states.

Canada has already announced that it intends to challenge the move at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), EUobserver reports. The country argues that the EU has no scientific materials which support the seal ban

Canada had expected the EU to act on science instead of misinformation” from the likes of “professional anti-seal-hunt lobbyists”, the country’s Fisheries Minister Gail Shea said about the EU decision, AFP reports.

Also Norway strongly dislikes the regulation. Irrespective of the EU line, however the country will continue seal hunting in its waters. As a matter of fact, Norway will in 2009 step up support to its seal hunters. Allocations will be increased to 13 million NOK, a hike of 5.8 million NOK.

The country’s Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs also intends to step up cooperation with Russian seal hunters in the White Sea and has allocated six million NOK to that purpose, a press release from the ministry reads.