Who are the sealers and how many are there?
There are 14,000 registered sealers of which 9,000 are considered professional sealers. The sealing season lasts only a few weeks each year. Not all registered sealers kill seals. Some people register as sealers without having ever gone to the ice and they have no intention of going. Wearing their seal license button gets them free drinks in some areas of Atlantic Canada. All it takes to get a license is CAD$2.00. The Canadian government states that about 6,000 people receive some income from sealing. This amounts to about 1% of the population of Atlantic Canada. It is limited employment and highly subsidized. In 2005, the seal hunt brought in $16.2 million* in gross revenues. This amounts to $2,700 average per sealer before deductions for fuel, vessel maintenance and operation, provisions, gear and clothing. Some like sealing boat owners may make over $50,000 and some working as crew may only make a $1,000 or less.
There are 14,000 registered sealers of which 9,000 are considered professional sealers. The sealing season lasts only a few weeks each year. Not all registered sealers kill seals. Some people register as sealers without having ever gone to the ice and they have no intention of going. Wearing their seal license button gets them free drinks in some areas of Atlantic Canada. All it takes to get a license is CAD$2.00. The Canadian government states that about 6,000 people receive some income from sealing. This amounts to about 1% of the population of Atlantic Canada. It is limited employment and highly subsidized. In 2005, the seal hunt brought in $16.2 million* in gross revenues. This amounts to $2,700 average per sealer before deductions for fuel, vessel maintenance and operation, provisions, gear and clothing. Some like sealing boat owners may make over $50,000 and some working as crew may only make a $1,000 or less. Subsidies are provided by the Canadian government in the form of ships
