http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2009/03/03/seals-henryisland.html
CBC News

After the controversial grey seal hunt on Hay Island, N.S., lasted
only one day because of a lack of market, some sealers in the
Maritimes have set their sights on another small island off Cape
Breton, a move questioned by anti-sealing groups.

A spokesman with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans said of the
2,200 grey seal quota for the protected area of Hay Island, only about
200 were harvested, due to there being no purchasers for the product.

Now, some sealers have informed DFO they want to hunt more grey seals
off privately-owned Henry Island.

However, the motivation for such a hunt is being questioned by the
Atlantic Canadian Anti-Sealing Coalition, given that an European Union
committee voted Monday to ban some Canadian seal products.

Director Bridget Curran told CBC News she suspects the sealers are
thumbing their noses at the Europeans, given the lack of market for
grey seal products.

"Because with no markets existing presently for seal meat or seal
skins, and it being so late, I find it very interesting that now,
suddenly, they want to go over to Henry Island to kill seals on the
very day the European Parliament committee . voted overwhelmingly for
a ban on seal products," she said.

Michel Therien, spokesman with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans
in the Gulf region said there is currently very little activity at
Henry Island because of poor weather but several sealers have notified
the department of their intention to continue with the hunt, even
though it is late in the year for a hunt in the area.

"There are less seals around the islands on western Cape Breton than
the southern Gulf, but there are still seals present, but not as
previous weeks for sure," Therien said.

Therien said the sealers who contacted the department said they had
purchasers for the grey seal products. The sealers must inform DFO of
when they go out for the hunt and how many seals they take.

A final vote on banning Canadian seal products will happen next month
in the EU parliament. The province of Newfoundland and Labrador and
Senator Fabian Manning have said a ban is contrary to the World Trade
Organization's regulations.