HALIFAX - The federal Fisheries Department is playing down a move by animal rights activists to derail Canada's plan to export edible seal products to China.
A spokesman for the department said Tuesday that officials weren't surprised that the Humane Society has filed proposals with the Chinese government to ban the import of seal skins, oil, meat and other products.
"We're not concerned for now," said Alain Belle-Isle. "It's just been put forward for consideration, but there's no indication it's going to go anywhere beyond that."
Belle-Isle said Canada has an agreement in place with China and the trade in seal products could begin after this season's hunt, which usually starts in March.
He said the animal welfare proposals were filed with thousands of other unrelated proposals for review, but there are no signs from the Chinese government that they will scrap the deal and ban seal imports.
The Humane Society International said in a news release that the legislative proposals have been accepted by one level of government for further consideration.
"It is clear that China will not be a dumping ground for products of cruelty the rest of the world has rejected," Rebecca Aldworth of the Humane Society said in a release.
"This is one of many demonstrations of Chinese opposition to seal product trade that have occurred in recent months."
Fisheries Minister Gail Shea flew to Beijing in January to announce the deal that will see Canada become the only country allowed to export seal meat and oil to the massive Chinese market.
Belle-Isle said the trade wouldn't be stalled while the proposals are under consideration, but it wasn't clear how many Canadian harvesters had deals in place.
The industry is at the centre of a formal challenge Ottawa launched at the World Trade Organization last month concerning Europe's ban on Canadian seal products.
Norway announced Tuesday that it was joining the challenge in asking the WTO to establish a dispute settlement panel to make an independent decision on the ban.
The ban was approved by the European Union's 27 member states in 2009 and imposed last year, but Ottawa argues it violates WTO rules.
The hunt itself might be delayed until later this month or early April because of poor ice conditions. Belle-Isle said there is little ice cover in the area, giving seals fewer places to have their pups.
He said the much larger hunt on the Front off northern Newfoundland should begin as scheduled in early April because ice conditions are better than last year.
