Iqaluit, Nunavut, January 19, 2006
The Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) today recommended the Government of Greenland remove its restriction on the import of Canadian sealskins. The restriction was announced earlier this month as a result of pressure from the Humane Society of the United States.
The Chair of ICC, Ms. Watt-Cloutier said: The Humane Society of the United States is using the Arctic as a back door to stop sealing in Newfoundland, but this will also damage the traditional Inuit economy. Arctic governments and Inuit organizations must stand together to defend our economy.
The demand for high quality seal pelts persists and their price remains high, noted Duane Smith, President of ICC Canada. The sustainable utilization and promotion of such products are recognized and embraced by the global market. This is nothing more then a publicity stunt. The long-term goal of radical animal rights groups is to stop the sustainable utilization of renewable resources wherever it occurs.
Ms. Watt-Cloutier stressed that the import and export of sealskins has broad ramifications. She said: While this is not a general restriction, it goes against the spirit and intent of international trade laws. This restriction must not be viewed as a mere local or even regional issue. Rather, it is a matter with international consequences. I urge Arctic governments to live within the spirit and intent of the international trading rules.
Duane Smith, noted as well that seals affected by the restriction are abundant and not listed or registered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). President Aqqaluk Lynge of ICC-Greenland is also questioning the Greenlandic restrictions; he notes that the worlds largest wildlife conservation organization, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to which Greenland is associated, opposes restrictions on the trade of seal products.
As a long-term solution, ICC encourages the establishment of a partnership between Greenland, Nunavut, the Government of Canada and Inuit resource management organizations to ensure the sustainable utilization and management of the resources shared between Greenland and Canada taking into account both traditional and scientific knowledge.
For further information:
Ms. Sheila Watt-Cloutier 867-979-4661 (office)
Mr. Duane Smith (613) 563-2642 (office)
Mr. Aqqaluk Lynge 299-32-36-32 (office)