The Commercial Seal Hunt: Myths 

What exactly is about to happen?

This marks the start of the 2026 commercial harp seal hunt.

Each year, tens of thousands of harp seals are killed on the ice floes of eastern Canada, primarily in areas like Newfoundland and Labrador and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The hunt mainly targets very young harp seals, many of which only weeks old.

The DFO's own scientists have officially moved the harp seal into the "Cautious Zone." There is a 96% probability that the population is now below the level where it can be considered healthy, according to Research Document 2025/070.

Harp seal pups are born on sea ice, where they depend entirely on their mothers for warmth, milk, and protection. When the hunt begins, many pups have only just started to swim and survive on their own.

The hunt is carried out for commercial reasons, mostly for seal pelts. It is not essential for food security, and seal products are banned in many parts of the world, including the European Union and the U.S.

Veterinary experts, conservation organizations, and animal welfare institutions have raised serious concerns for decades about:

• The suffering caused during the hunt

• The difficulty of enforcing humane standards on moving ice

• The long-term impact on seal populations and ecosystems - seal populations have already been classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN due to unprecedented ice conditions.
  
  

Today is not just another date on the calendar — it is a reminder that this is still happening, right now - in 2026.

The seal hunt: myths vs reality

There is a lot of misinformation surrounding the seal hunt. Here are the facts.

Myth: “The seal hunt is necessary to protect fish stocks.”

Reality:
There is no scientific consensus proving that killing seals helps fish populations recover. Overfishing, climate change, and habitat destruction are the primary causes of declining fish stocks — not seals. Harp seals have an incredibly diverse diet, with cod making up barely 3-5% of it.

Myth: “The hunt is humane and strictly controlled.”

Reality:
Independent veterinary reports have found that it is extremely difficult to guarantee humane killing conditions on unstable ice, often in poor weather and over large areas. Enforcement is limited, and suffering can and does occur.

Myth: “The hunt is vital to the economy.”

Reality:
The seal hunt makes up barely <0.05% of Newfoundland's GDP. Only a few hundred fishermen participate in the hunt. It is an off-season, not a full-time job, making up only 5% of the fishermen's annual income.

Myth: “Most Canadians support the seal hunt.”

Reality:
Polls consistently show that a majority of Canadians oppose the commercial seal hunt, especially when it involves young seals. Opposition is strong both nationally and internationally, facing bans from all over the world.

Myth: “Seal pups are killed because their population is too large.”

Reality:
Harp seals are a wild species, not a resource to be managed through commercial slaughter. Climate change is already reducing sea ice, making survival harder for seal pups — adding hunting pressure only increases the risk.

Myth: “The hunt is a tradition that cannot be questioned.”

Reality:
Traditions change. Practices once considered normal can be re-examined when new knowledge, ethics, and alternatives exist. Questioning harm is how progress happens.

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