Seals
Seals are mammals belonging to the Order Pinnipedia, which means, "fin-footed". Typical of mammals, they are warm-blooded, hairy, breath air, and suckle their young. Highly specialized for aquatic life in the Arctic, seals have webbed feet, modified limbs for swimming and a streamlined body encircled by a layer of blubber for warmth.
There are three families of Pinnipeds: Phocidae or true seals, Otariidae that includes fur seals and sea lions, and Odobenidae or the walrus. True seals have hair on both sides of their flippers, no external ears and hind flippers that cannot be rotated forward for walking. Three species of true seals are found in the waters of the NWT: ringed seal (Phoca hispida), bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus), harbour seal (Phoca vitulina).
Management
The federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans is responsible for the management of marine mammals in Canada. Seals are a renewable resource, which can be harvested humanely at levels based upon sound conservation principles. The objective of the Canadian government's seal management program is to ensure the survival of stock in order to maximize the socio-economic, cultural and aesthetic benefits to all Canadians, particularly sealers. Sustainable use is compatible with an ecologically conscious world.
Seal hunting is of paramount importance to the continuation of the Inuit's resource-based way of life. Seals are hunted for food, and their skins provide material for clothing, such as kamiks, mitts and parkas. Prior to the ban on importation of seal products by the European Economic Community, sealskins from the Northwest Territories earned about $500,000 annually for the Inuit. By 1985/86, this had dropped below $30,000. Alternative employment opportunities for these hunters are limited or non-existent. Over the past several years, efforts have been made to revitalize the sealing industry in the NWT as a means of providing a livelihood to hunters in smaller Northern communities.
Laws governing the use of seals within Canada's 320-km limit are found in the federal Seal Protection Regulations. A Marine Mammal Export Permit is required to transport untanned sealskins out of the Northwest Territories. This permit is issued free of charge from the Departments of Fisheries and Oceans, or Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development. Permits are not required for worked hides, such as tanned sealskins, handicrafts or articles of clothing. However, the United States Marine Mammal Act prohibits the importation of any seal products into that country.
|