Inuit Pride and Practicality

"The ban on seal products adopted in the European Union was a political decision that has no basis in fact or science."
Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, Ottawa, Canada

"I regret to inform Members that the ruling has been upheld."
"The seal harvest is central to the Inuit, and Canadian, way of life."
"The misrepresentation of the seal hunt has an effect on our local economies."
Nunavut Premier Peter Taptuna, speaking at the territory's legislature

Sealfies -- Promoting the Seal Hunt

"This sends a message to the animal rights groups, that so long as they spend a lot of money on lawyers and lobbying, they can succeed in forcing their agenda onto others, on the basis of their public morality."
Madeleine Redfern, former mayor, Iqaluit

"Commercial sealing is on its way out and the only question is where we go from here. It is time the Canadian government stops wasting taxpayers dollars on a futile battle to preserve this cruel and outdated slaughter."
Rebecca Aldworth, executive director, Humane Society International Canada

Sealfie -- Teevi Mackay

So while the World Trade Organization to whom Canada appealed for arbitration over the EU's imposition of a ban on Canadian seal products, has characterized that very seal ban as arbitrary, unfair and "inconsistent", the ruling came down Thursday that the EU will be permitted to continue its intention to blacklist Canadian seal products in order to "protect public morals".

As a reason, the protection of public morals is a real puzzler. What, exactly, does it refer to? What can it possibly mean? The public morals of the animal activists who are cheering success? Did the WTO mean protecting their morale, or morals? There's an element of confusion there, because nothing about it makes any kind of common sense.

Other than that three years of effort by the Government of Canada to overturn the EU's 2009 ban on imports of seal fur, meat and blubber has been for naught. True, the ruling, as Mr. Fast put it vindicated "Canada's long-standing position that the EU ban is discriminatory and treats Canadian seal products unfairly", but this is nothing but a hollow victory, signifying nothing of any significance.

The WTO recognized as an "inconsistency" the exemption on seals killed by Inuit hunters or that represent an organized cull. The result of which is that Greenland seal products have been given a district "advantage" over Canadian products, noted the WTO. Canadian Inuit can technically sell their seal harvests in Europe, but hunters claim the ban has destroyed their industry and wholly diminished demand for their product.

"It is morally reprehensible for anyone to impede those goals [Inuit feeding their families], which are the basic rights of any citizen of the world", commented Terry Audla, president of the Inuit Tapirit Kanatami, representing about 55,000 Canadian Inuit. Newfoundland hunters as well have seen their commercial hunt reduced to a shadow of its former presence.

A provision in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade allows countries to implement bans it considers "necessary to protect public morals", and it was this provision on which the European Union ban was upheld by the WTO. When the EU first banned the importation of seal products in 2009 it argued necessity in defense of "Europeans' profound attachment to seals as sentient mammals capable of experiencing pain, distress and suffering."

No word yet whether the European Union is set to order its member-states to enforce by law a generalized and legal alteration in the eating patterns of their 28 member-states to vegetarianism.