Sealskin

Seal skins have been used by the peoples of North America and northern Eurasia for millennia to make waterproof jackets and boots, and seal fur to make fur coats.

Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia and Namibia all export sealskin.

The Inuit, a people indigenous to North America and Greenland, argue that banning both seal products and seal hunting is detrimental to their way of life and the Inuit culture.

[1] Further, films like Angry Inuk (2016) expose the importance of sealing in providing a sustainable way of making money for Inuit that does not require destructive practices like mining or seismic testing to take place.

The value of global sealskin exports in 2006 was over CA$16 million.