Large-scale commercial harvests are restricted to harp and hooded seals, except for the hooded seal population in the Jan Mayen area of the Greenland Sea. Both species faced intense commercial hunting in the 19th and 20th centuries, first for oil, and later mainly for the highly prized pelts of pups.Seal products nowadays also include a significant aphrodisiac trade (particularly for harp seal sex organs), and seal oil has become a popular health product because of its omega-3 content. Canada, Greenland, Norway, and Russia have been and are still involved in regulated commercial harvest of these species.

Year: 2010

From collection: Protecting Arctic Biodiversity

Cartographer: Riccardo Pravettoni