How many sealers are there?
The number of sealers that actually go sealing is much smaller than the number who hold licences. In 2001, Tina Fagan, then the Executive Director of the Canadian Sealers Association, stated that there were about 11,000 licensed sealers in Newfoundland, with only about 2,500 active in any given year. If sealers do not renew their licence in any given year, they may not be eligible for a licence the following year. Thus there will always be more sealing licences sold than there are active sealers.
