Seal Oil: The Other Seal Product
Seal oil capsules |
Harp seals have a thick layer of blubber underneath their skin, which
protects them from the freezing temperatures of the North Atlantic. The oil
obtained from this blubber layer is sold in capsules as a nutrition supplement.
The oil is reputed to taste bad, resulting in the fact that it is not
sold for direct use in food (as flax seed oil, hemp seed oil, and chia
seed oil are).
NuTan Furs, formerly known as Atlantic Marine Products, is a major purveyor of harp seal oil (along
with pelts). This company is owned by the large seafood distributor, the Barry Group. One company that purchases Atlantic Marine Products' harp
seal oil is Terra Nova
Fishery Products, founded by Dr. Cosmas Ho, a Newfoundland researcher
and entrepreneur. He can be emailed from
here.
Another brand of seal oil capsules is Omega 3 Plus+. Note: that
neither company sells to the U.S. because all marine mammal products,
including harp seal oil and pelts, are illegal in the U.S. thanks to the
Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Atlantic Marine Products produces a brochure that states, "Marine oil, derived
from the North Atlantic Harp Seal, has been identified as a rich source of Omega-3
polyunsaturated fatty acids." Throughout the pamphlet, the health benefits of
omega-3 fatty acids are touted, but nowhere does this company or the Omega
3 Plus company present proven advantages of harp seal oil over
flax seed oil, hemp seed oil, or chia seed oil...and the latter oils taste good and
come from plants!
What's more, all marine mammals now have high levels of mercury and
other pollutants (from man-made pollution) in their bodies, mostly
concentrated in the fatty tissue. This has resulted in high levels of
mercury in the tissues of the Inuit people of Newfoundland, who consume
seals, whales, and other marine mammals in their traditional diet.
Nevertheless, the companies that sell harp seal oil do not mention the
issue of contaminants in their products.
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