By Richard Reynolds in Toronto
April 21, 2006
Sydney Morning Herald
Sydney, Australia

CANADA'S seal hunters are celebrating after the price of pelts jumped by half from last year.

The main reason for the increase, say Canadian Fisheries Department officials, is surging demand from the primary markets, Russia and China, where more than 90 per cent of Canadian seal pelts are eventually sold.

"We didn't expect this," said Eldred Woodford, the president of the Canadian Sealers Association, after the average wholesale pelt price paid to hunters rose to $C118 ($140) from $C76 last season. "Before we went sealing, there was talk of seal pelts in the vicinity of $C80."

Following a long tradition of celebrity protests, the actress turned animal activist Brigitte Bardot and the former Beatle Paul McCartney visited the ice floes off Canada's east coast this spring, imploring hunters to stop what they called inhumane slaughter.

The hunt was shut down by regulators last weekend, although it may be reopened for a few more days. A fisheries department spokeswoman said "we may still be short of the quota, perhaps by as many as 40,000 animals". This year's quota was for 325,000 baby seals to be killed during the month-long hunt.

The hunt was marked by repeated clashes between hunters and observers, most of whom come from animal rights groups. In one small town, hunters and their families surrounded the hotel where observers were staying and refused to let them leave. Several of their rental cars were destroyed.