February 28, 2014: – Norway – Today the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) issued a press release detailing the key events and conclusions from their Council meeting last week.
Affirming its position against the EU trade ban on seal products, NAMMCO stressed the following:
“NAMMCO reiterates that the EU seal ban regulation ignores and undermines the internationally recognized principles on which conservation and management of marine resources in the North Atlantic are firmly based. It has serious and detrimental consequences for the economies of the many communities dependent on abundant seal stocks across the North Atlantic, including Inuit communities. This issue involves important principles, such as the right to sustainably harvest living marine resources and to sell products derived from hunting and fishing.
A WTO panel concluded that EUs seal regulation violates WTO rules concerning non-discrimination. However, the panel did not conclude that the regulation is more trade restrictive than necessary. Norway, Canada and the EU have appealed the WTO Panels findings, and Iceland has made a submission as a third party. A decision is expected in April/May 2014”
NAMMCO is an international body for cooperation on the conservation, management and study of marine mammals in the North Atlantic. Members include the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and Norway. Several other countries, including Canada, are represented by observers.
To read the full press release, please visit:
http://www.nammco.no/webcronize/images/nammco/995.pdf