Questions are being asked about why commercial sealers cannot take a seal for personal use this year.

Canadian Sealers Association President Eldred Woodford says they couldn’t allow the commercial fishery to go ahead because there is no processing capacity because of the current COVID-19 situation.

The “personal use” seal hunt began this morning.

The problem Woodford says, is that as a commercial sealer he, and many others, cannot take to the water to get a seal for personal use. Prior to this year, a commercial sealer could still take a seal for personal use, but that’s now changed.

He says the association is working with DFO to have that corrected in the next day or so.