Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 7 • Number 17 • 5th October 2007

Canada Launches Trade Dispute over European Seal Products Ban

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Canada is taking a strong stance against European countries that have enacted or are planning to enact import bans with regard to Canadian seal products.

The Canadian government issued a statement at the end of July on its intention to challenge Belgium at the WTO over a ban on the importation and marketing of seal products, in force since April this year (see Bridges Trade BioRes, 7 September 2007). Ottawa proceeded to officially lodge a complaint at the WTO targeting Belgium and the Netherlands on 25 September (WT/DS369/1, available at http//docsonline.wto.org), claiming legislation in the two countries contravenes rules under the WTO General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT). Imports of seal products have been banned in the US since the 1970s. A representative of International Trade Canada told BioRes that this ban - which Canada is not challenging - is different, as it targets all marine mammals, not just seals.

Animal right groups worldwide strongly oppose the annual North-Eastern Canadian seal hunt, which they claim is cruel and unsustainable. Belgium is the first country to impose a full ban, soon to be followed by the Netherlands. Similar legislation is under consideration in Germany, Austria, France and the UK. Belgium itself does not import any seal products, while several other European countries do. Norway, which is not a member of the EU, is the main importer of Canadian seal pelts and other products. The European Parliament has also called for a Europe-wide ban; the European Commission has so far not moved to propose legislation on the issue, but is undertaking studies on the topic, and products from baby seals are outlawed. Trade analysts speculated that Canada moved on the issue in order to pre-empt an EU-wide ban, which Greenland also strongly opposes.

“We don’t believe there is any basis from the point of view of science or conservation to justify banning imports of seal products,” commented Francois Jubinville, a spokesperson for Canada’s minister of international trade. “The seal hunt is a very important source of revenue for some communities in eastern Canada,” he added, noting that Canada exports C$5.4 million of seal products to the EU annually.

Livelihoods in the areas of Newfoundland and Labrador are suffering the consequences of the collapse of the cod fishery in the mid-nineties, which has never recovered. While seal products such as pelts bring in C$33 million in annual revenues, the Humane Society of Canada claims that the government subsidises the seal hunt to the tune of C$20 million each year. This year, 270,000 seals will be killed. According to Ottawa, the healthy seal population amounts to 5.5 million animals.

If the consultations now requested do not lead to a mutually-accepted solution, Canada has the right to call for the establishment of a dispute settlement panel after 60 days.

“Canada Files WTO Case Against EU on Seal-Product Ban,” BLOOMBERG, 26 September 2007; “Canada Files WTO Complaint Over Bans on Seal Products,” WALL STREET JOURNAL, 26 September 2007; “Canada files WTO complaint over European trade restrictions on seal products,” THE CANADIAN PRESS, 26 September 2007; “Canada launches trade dispute with EU over seals,” REUTERS, 26 September 2006.