Canada will abolish permits that allow the killing of "nuisance seals" by commercial fishermen and aquaculture in an effort to maintain access to the lucrative U.S. seafood market, CBC News has learned. Canadian fish farms voluntarily stopped killing seals in 2018. "DFO is making this change in order to ensure continued access to the U.S. fish and seafood market, a market worth about $5 billion annually to Canada," DFO spokesperson Benoit Mayrand said. The association says it represents 95 per cent Canadian fish farms and shellfish operations. "They are required to report the number of seals they have removed, but most fishermen do not provide this information."

Source: CBC News July 02, 2020 09:00 UTC