In addition to the established product base a number of new and potentially valuable in both a monetary sense and a medical sense are on the horizon.
For over two decades there have been ongoing studies into the potential of seal heart valves as "replacements" in various heart surgery applications as they provide, potentially, significant improvements over the exiting technology.
According to Dr. Adrien Beaudoin, a biochemist at the University Laval, seal collagen has potential uses in medical applications. It potentially can be used to help replenish the skin of burn victims and dressings to stop bleeding. Technologies to extract the collagen are being developed.
The animal feed industry is strictly as regulated as the human food market and is potentially open to the use of seal as a major protein source
According to Bertrand Duclos, former owner sled dog owner and guide, when he could feed his dogs with the seal, they showed greater resistance to stress and cold thanks to the beneficial effects of the meat (with a little fat) on the hair of animals. After all, what is good for humans is probably for other carnivores.
So it's just a matter of logistics and transportation costs, but once the equation solved, the seal could become an excellent contribution to the diet of our pets.
By early march tourists from The USA, Canada, Japan and Europe can take guided tours with Magdellan Islanders to view seals in their natural habitat. (chateau-madelinot)
The Auberge La Salicorne in Grande-Entrée, has an Interpretation Centre which allows visitors to learn more about this marine mammal as an integral part of past, present and future of the Islanders .
It is not uncommon for creative artists and artisans draw their inspiration from the materials around them. Those who live in communities hunting is no exception.
Thus, in the Magdalen Islands, several works incorporating by-products of the seal or inspired by the animal:
