Does WWF support the hunting of the Canadian harp seal population ?
Answer… The harp seal is a migratory species, which is hunted by indigenous people in the North – where the seals spend their winters – as well as by commercial hunters off Newfoundland and Labrador – where the seals have their pups in spring, which starts in March. WWF does not support a “cull” – which means setting a level where the long term objective is to reduce the seal population of east coast seal populations. WWF has seen no compelling evidence that seals are responsible for the collapse of cod, or other fish stocks. However, WWF is not opposed to the annual harvest of harp seals off the east coast of Canada, provided the hunt takes place within a safe conservation regime. A “sustainable” harvest is one where an overall healthy population is either maintained or allowed to increase over the long run. The Canadian harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) population is currently abundantly healthy – with over 5 million individuals and the hunt poses no threat to the long term health of
