Archived – Amendments to the Marine Mammal Regulations - Seal Harvest

March 2009

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Amendments to the Marine Mammal Regulations dealing with sealing methods have further enhanced the humaneness of Canada’s annual seal harvest. These changes came into force on February 12, 2009, and were published in the Canada Gazette, Part II, on March 4, 2009.

The amendments are supported by the advice of scientists and reflect the recommendations of the Independent Veterinarians Working Group (IVWG). They are also consistent with many of the conclusions of the European Food Safety Authority. They provide improved clarity with respect to each of the three steps in the humane harvesting of seals – striking, checking and bleeding. They also include a prohibition on the use of a hakapik or club as the initial tool for harvesting a seal that is one year or older.

Three-step process:

The three-step process is a science-based approach developed to ensure that seals are harvested quickly and humanely. The amendments to the Marine Mammal Regulations related to this process are outlined below:

Step 1 - Striking: This step refers to the shooting or striking of the seal on the top of the cranium with either an approved firearm or a hakapik (or club) in order to render the animal irreversibly unconscious or dead by crushing its cranium.

Changes to the regulations prohibit the use of the hakapik or club as the primary harvesting instrument for any seal over one year of age. The hakapik or club has been studied by veterinary experts and is considered to be a humane instrument for harvesting young harp seals (up to at least 1 year of age) because the top of their cranium is very thin and can be easily crushed by one or a few strikes. For harp seals over one year of age, sealers must first shoot the seal with a firearm to ensure that the cranium is crushed quickly and therefore minimize suffering.

Step 2 – Checking: The process of “checking” refers to confirming, by palpation, that both the left and right halves of the cranium are crushed, which confirms irreversible unconsciousness or death of the seal.

The amendments repeal the “blinking reflex test” used in the past to determine the state of the seals.

The amendments require the sealer to immediately palpate the cranium following striking. Where palpation indicates that the seal’s cranium is not crushed, the sealer is required to immediately strike the seal again with a hakapik or club on the top of the cranium until it is crushed.

In the case of sealers who fish for seals using a firearm, palpation of the cranium must be performed as soon as possible after the seal is shot.

The amendments also include definitions of the terms “crushed” and “palpate”, with respect to checking the cranium of the seal.

Step 3 – Bleeding: The “bleeding” step refers to the severing of the two axillary arteries of the seal located beneath its front flippers. Proper bleeding ensures that the seal is dead.
The amended regulations also require sealers to allow a minimum of one minute to pass after bleeding the seal before beginning to skin the seal. The one-minute time requirement was arrived at through consultation with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) scientists, who advised that the average time for a seal to bleed out is forty-five seconds or less.

Together with the 2009 licence conditions, which deal with other related aspects of the three-step process, the proposed amendments clearly articulate the requirements for a humane harvest. They provide the basis for a shared understanding of requirements in support of improved sealing practices and better compliance and enforcement.

The amended regulations, together with licence requirements, also provide greater clarity for others monitoring or observing the harvest, to allow them to more easily distinguish good practice from bad practice when it comes to the humane treatment of animals.

The full text of the amendments was published in the Canada Gazette, Part II, on March 4, 2009.