What is DFO doing to monitor the hunt?
The seal hunt is closely monitored and tightly regulated to ensure the animals are killed in a quick and humane manner. Fishery officers have the primary responsibility for Monitoring-Control-Surveillance (MCS) activities and enforcement of the regulations governing the hunt. Other police forces, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Quebec Provincial Police, may also be involved in monitoring the seal hunt. Fishery officers conduct surveillance of sealers and sealing activities using aerial surveillance (both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters); vessel monitoring systems (satellite tracking); at-sea patrols and inspections; dockside/landing site patrols and inspections; and inspections at buyer/processor sites/facilities. Independent at-sea fishery observers are randomly deployed to individual sealing vessels. Observers are fully trained professionals and are deployed full-time in other commercial fisheries after the seal hunt. While they do not have enforcement
