How Many Seals Are Killed Annually?
In 2005, the government quota for the number of seals who could be killed was 320,000, and in 2006, it was raised by 5,000 because of government reports that the seal population is “flourishing.” However, scientists argue that the Canadian government failed to take into account changes in the environment, like food availability, toxins, and global warming (which may adversely affect the populations of harp seals, because they give birth on ice floes) when setting “sustainable” hunting quotas.
