Commercial exploitation of seal products

Question for written answer E-001763/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Katri Kulmuni (Renew)

In the EU, there is a ban on making seal products available on the market. Today, the commercial exploitation of seal products is banned, even when it is on a small scale and results from hunting carried out for the sustainable management of marine resources. So although seal-hunting in those cases is permitted and takes place on the basis of justifiable objectives, the use of the seal carcasses is prohibited.

The rules seem to be at odds with the objectives, and the carcasses have now become hazardous waste. In practice, this also makes it more difficult to hunt seals, as hunters are forced to do so at their own expense, without being able to use the carcass.

The seal carcasses could however be used in many ways - seal meat, skin, blubber and bones could generate additional income for local businesspeople. We're not talking about a large number of seal carcasses, but this is an important issue for seal hunters.

It is difficult to justify the fact that the ban on placing seal products on the market remains in place even when the hunting of seals is permitted.

Regulation (EU) 2015/1775 of the European Parliament and of the Council, which prohibits the exploitation of seal products, reads: 'Nevertheless, the removal of the exception relating to the sustainable management of marine resources may create problems in Member States where carcasses derived from legal seal hunts have been used as material for seal products which have been placed on the local markets occasionally and in small quantities.'

Between 15 May and 7 August 2024, the Commission organised a public feedback and consultation period to gauge how appropriate the EU rules on the trade in seal products are. In the light of the foregoing, does the Commission consider it justified to start preparing legislative amendments for the commercialisation, further processing or recycling of seal products?

Submitted: 19.9.2024