The quotas for sealing are set on the basis of scientific recommendations made by the International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO). ICES and NAFO have established a joint working party regarding sealing. Recommendations made by ICES and NAFO form the basis for decisions reached by the sealing working party, which was appointed within the framework of the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission.
Russia is responsible for managing stocks of seal in the southeast part of the Barents Sea, while Norway is responsible for managing stocks at Jan mayen in the Greenland Sea. The Jan Mayen hooded seal stock seems to have suffered a recent decline that is not related to harvest levels, and in 2008 Norway decided a zero quota based on advice from ICES. For the harp seal stocks, Norway decided that up to 31 200 harp seals can be caught around Jan Mayen in the Greenland Sea in 2008. Under the terms of its quota agreement with Russia, Norway is permitted to catch up to 10 000 harp seals in the southeast part of the Barents Sea. These quotas may also include non-suckling pups.
At Jan Mayen, two harp seal pups are deemed equal to one adult. In the southeast part of the Barents Sea, 2.5 harp seal pups are deemed equal to one adult.
Ban on hunting of suckling pups
Traditional Norwegian sealing was primarily based on the hunting of suckling pups (white pups). A relatively high price was paid for the pelts of white pups, while the cost of sealing was relatively low. In 1989, however, a ban was imposed on the hunting of suckling pups, and this ban remains in place to this day.
Vessels have a public inspector on board to ensure compliance with the rules and regulations concerning sealing, and sealers are required to follow courses on the rules and pass shooting tests before they are allowed to take part in Norwegian sealing expeditions. The regulation concerning sealing is updated on a regular basis in order to secure that the hunt is conducted as humanely as possible.
Government-funded sealing
Sealing in Norway has long traditions. Utilisation of the renewable seal resources contributed to food supply, employment, economic and social development in the involved coastal communities. Campaigns against Norwegian sealing in the 1980s led to changes in operations and reduced opportunities for revenues for the Norwegian sealing industry. Since 1991 it has therefore been impossible to maintain a sealing industry without considerable state funding. For the year 2008, a total of NOK 16 million has been granted towards supporting the Norwegian sealing. The governmental funding is aimed at transforming the sealing into a financially self-supporting activity based on a combination of traditional products and new products and markets. There is now a growing understanding that the Norwegian sealing is sustainable, well monitored and controlled, and that harvesting the seal stocks is part of a balanced utilisation of renewable resources within an ecosystem approach.
Revised 15.02.2008