Over the centuries sealing techniques have evolved as technology has changed. today the vast majority of seals are taken using rifles although when the conditions demand it hakapiks are still used. As well, licensing regulation require hunters to carry hakapiks to ensure that the rifle shot has actually killed the targeted seal. The age of seals taken is determined by both nature and the markets with younger seals being taken in the Magdallen Islands and older seals being taken on the north shore, Newfoundland and Labrador and in Nunavut.
All Canadian sealers are licensed by the Canadian Government and must adhere to the “three step process” developed by Dr. Pierre-Yves Daoust (Atlantic Veterinary College) and adopted by the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans as a condition of license.
In simple terms the process is as follows:
These standards follow the internationally accepted practices for the killing of any mammal in slaughter houses world wide.
Traditionally sealers learned from their parents and other sealers in their communities but today all Canadian sealers undergo a series of professional training courses designed to teach them the proper techniques of killing and quality control for the products derived from their prey. These courses are a pre-condition to obtaining a sealing license.
All peer reviewed studies have shown that Canadian sealing is as humane as any animal killing anywhere in the world. The strict quota system employed by Canada, based upon scientific population studies, ensures the stability of the seal herds and the sustainability of the hunt
