Prospects for Future Sealing in the North Atlantic

There are concerns over the current lack of ability on both the Norwegian and Russian side to fulfill given seal quotas. Also, the multispecies perspective of seal management is a matter of concern in the two countries.

The main problem for the sealing industry in the last 2-3 decades has been the market situation. Protest activities initiated by several Non-governmental Organizations in the 1970s destroyed many of the old markets for traditional seal products which were primarily the skins.

The results have been reduced profitability which subsequently resulted in reduction in available harvest capacity (e.g., the availability of ice-going vessels) and effort. With the present reduced logistic harvest capacity in Norway and Russia it is impossible to take out catches that would stabilize the stocks at their present levels. Unless sealing again becomes profitable, it is likely that this situation will prevail.

In September 2003, the symposium “Prospects for future sealing activities in the North Atlantic” was held (based upon an initiative from JNRFC) in Archangelsk, Russia with participation from Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia. The meeting was successful, and at its last meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia, in October 2007, JNRFC decided that a new symposium should be arranged in 2008.

This is the background for a forthcoming symposium “Prospects for future sealing in the North Atlantic” which will be arranged at the Polar Environmental Centre in Tromsø, Norway, on 25 and 26 August 2008.

The symposium will be an arena where experts involved in the various aspects and branches of sealing can meet. This is primarily a meeting for people from all levels of the sealing industry, including participants with knowledge of both the sealing itself, the products and their application, and the market prospects.

Themes addressed will primarily focus on market prospects for traditional products (skins), but also the possibility to introduce “new” products (meat- or blubber-based) on the markets will be assessed. Participation also from other seal hunting nations are secured, in particular Canada (where a successful seal hunt is currently sustained) and Greenland.

To ensure input about the resource bases and management (including animal welfare issues), also participants from management authorities and science is needed. The symposium is open for participation to the public.

For registration of participation, please contact the technical organizer of the symposium:
Tom Hansen
Fiskeridirektoratet Region Troms
PO Box 940
N-9259 Tromsø
Norway

Mail: tom.hansen@fiskeridir.no
Phone: +47 975 89 511