Seals and the Seal Hunt in the News
 In 2003, the Canadian government stunned the world with the announcement that it would allow the killing of almost one million seals over three years. In fact, over one million seal pups were killed from 2003 to 2005.
Since then millions of seal pups have been killed in the name of vanity. They are skinned so that their skins can be processed into fur coats, jackets, and accessories; and their carcasses are left on the ice.
Below is a summary of the number of seal pups killed over the years. The numbers are approximate.
| Years |
Range of number of seals killed |
Average number of seals killed (Approximate) |
| 1952 – 1971 (quota starts) |
188,000 - 389,000 |
288,000 |
| 1972 – 1982 (year before EU whitecoat killing ban) |
123,000 - 202,000 |
160,000 |
| 1983 – 1995 (markets developed for beaters' pelts) |
19,000 - 94,000 |
52,000 |
| 1996 – 2008 (year before EU comprehensive ban) |
218,000 - 366,000 |
265,000 |
| 2009 - 2022 |
2,100 - 90,000 |
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