PRESS RELEASE (copy)
28 November 1997   International panel calls for elimination
of barriers to international trade in seal products 

ST. JOHN'S: An urgent call was made for the elimination of trade barriers that have constrained the international trade in seal products and impeded the sustainable development of sealing communities around the world at the first ever international forum on sealing, held in St. John's, Newfoundland from November 25th to 27th. 

Sealing the Future, a three-day conference and exhibition which concluded here yesterday, drew more than 200 participants from across the circumpolar north - including North America, northern Europe, and the Russian Federation - and from Latin America and southern Africa. The event was organized by the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) and was hosted by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. 

NAMMCO's spokesperson and General Secretary, Kate Sanderson said, "Seals are major components of the marine ecosystem in the North Atlantic and in many other parts of the world. Seal stocks constitute an important source of meat, oil and skin and have the potential to become the basis of economic activity and employment where few or no other opportunities are available. The Conference heard that sealers all over the world - be they subsistence hunters in the Arctic, or operators of small crafts or larger vessels - are exploring outlets for the full utilization of seals to secure a cash flow necessary to make their living." 

On Wednesday afternoon, a discussion of international trade barriers concluded with a unanimous statement from a panel of sealers and Aboriginal groups, industry, government and trade experts calling for an end to trade barriers that are inconsistent with the principles of the World Trade Organization (WTO). 
 

"WTO-inconsistent trade barriers continue to hamper the economic development of communities around the world that rely on the sustainable use of seals and other wildlife resources," the panel members stated in a joint conclusion. "Governments do not always pursue trade interests in a manner consistent with the rights and interests of the people of coastal communities to maintain their livelihoods from the sustainable harvest of seals and other wildlife resources." 

The eight-member panel requested governments to abolish WTO inconsistent barriers to trade in seal products, and urged governments with sealing communities to promote the seal trade interests of these communities without delay. The panel also recommended that the WTO establish a special unit to service the legitimate trade interests of indigenous people, in accordance with Agenda 21's recognition of the trading interests of indigenous people. 

The wide range of possibilities for the total utilization of seals was clearly indicated in presentations from researchers and product developers at the Conference. Papers were presented on the nutritional value and product possibilities of seal oil and meat, including preliminary results from recent medical research on seal oil which clearly indicate its potential to enhance human health. 

Emphasizing the need to pursue research into the further development of seal products, Kate Sanderson noted, "Conference attendees also concluded that international cooperation and funding for applied research is crucial in ensuring that seal resources continue to be developed in a sustainable and cost effective manner. Participants called for cooperation on generic marketing of seal products and general information countering the misinformation of the protest industry on sealing." 

Already the information available is being put to use and there is a growing interest in several countries in using seal meat and oil in a number of commercial products, many examples of which were on display during the Conference. The use of seal in the fur industry has been increasing in recent years, and an international seal fashion show Wednesday evening in St. John's hosted by the Provincial Government of Newfoundland and Labrador demonstrated the exciting variety and ingenuity of designers in countries all over the world. 

The upward trend in sealing, processing and marketing of seal products is, however, being hampered, not only by arbitrarily imposed import restrictions in some countries, but also by the general problems of introducing new products into the market place, and the negative public perception of sealing created by multimillion dollar campaigns by the international protest industry.