Seal ban omitted from Canada-EU trade talks – CBC.ca
Issue kept off table in trade negotiations, left to World Trade Organization process instead
Nov 22, 2013
The European Union’s ban on the import of seal products was not discussed as part of the free trade negotiations between Canada and Europe, CBC News has confirmed.
A source close to the negotiations told CBC Radio’s Fisheries Broadcast that the seal ban was considered, but it was felt that the issue was a dispute best left to be resolved under the ongoing World Trade Organization dispute process.
The European Union officially banned the import of seal products in August 2010 over disputed and controversial animal welfare concerns. Canada appealed the ban at the WTO on the grounds that the seal harvest is sustainable and humane, and that the ban violates the EU’s trade obligations.
