Ban on the trade in seal products

2.10.2025

Question for written answer  E-003846/2025/rev.1
to the Commission
Rule 144
Anna-Maja Henriksson (Renew)

In 2009, the European Union introduced a ban on the trade in seal products. The ban has had an adverse impact on coastal communities and fishers, especially in Finland and Sweden. In recent decades, seal populations in the Baltic Sea have increased sharply, resulting in damage to fishing gear, affecting fish stocks and hampering the economic sustainability of small-scale fishing.

The possibilities of managing seal populations effectively are limited by the continued trade ban, and there are no incentives for regulated and ethical hunting. The ban makes it impossible to use seal products from hunting in a circular and sustainable way. Such use could contribute to the EU’s objectives as regards sustainable resource management, biodiversity and the circular economy, and help safeguard small-scale commercial fishing.

The issue has recently been raised by Finnish and Swedish professional fishing associations. They have expressed serious concern about the ban’s impact on the fisheries sector and called for a review of the rules in force, taking into account scientific and socio-economic factors.

In the light of the foregoing, and with reference to the fitness check that the Commission is currently carrying out on the rules governing the trade in seal products, I would like answers to the following question:

How will the Commission specifically take into account the socio-economic impact on coastal communities and professional fishers in Member States with burgeoning seal populations?

Submitted: 2.10.2025