Annual commercial seal hunt off Newfoundland opens Sunday

A hunter heads towards a harp seal during the annual East Coast seal hunt in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence around Quebec's Iles de la Madeleine on March 25, 2009. (Andrew Vaughan / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. -- The annual seal hunt off Newfoundland and Labrador will open Sunday.

The federal Fisheries Department says sealers on the Front off northeastern Newfoundland and southern Labrador, as well as those based in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, can take to the water at 6 a.m.

Fisheries says seal harvesters should check with their buyers to make sure there is a market for the seals before they head out.

The department is also advising fishermen that they must do humane harvesting training before taking part in this year's hunt.

The start of the season comes days after the Newfoundland and Labrador government contributed $2 million to two different processing plants to support the provincial sealing sector.

An animal rights group condemned the financial aid, arguing the government is propping up a dying and inhumane industry.