The seal hunt in Newfoundland and Labrador is a complex story involving Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal hunters, political and animal welfare activists, and various levels of government around the world . Despite being such an isolated hunting activity, it has gained international attention, both positively and negatively, sparking one of the largest fights over animal welfare and resource use in our history. Filled with complex issues of sustainability, animal cruelty, Aboriginal rights, and Newfoundland and Canadian identity, this issue represents a far-reaching puzzle with no simple solution, as is true of many environmental issues we face today. It is essential, when examining issues such as this, to evaluate the human dimensions that determine how and why we use the natural resources at our disposal, in particular to examine how political and economic factors influence resource use policies. The battle between the anti-seal hunting movement and sealer supporters has been fraught with discord and unbalanced power relations. The anti-sealing movement is represented by large NGOs, such as IFAW, PETA and Greenpeace, celebrities and other high-powered individuals, while the pro-sealing side of the fight is primarily made up of sealers and fishermen from Newfoundland and Labrador. While the Canadian government has joined the fight to support the seal hunt, it is divided on the topic, with different departments advocating different goals. Seal hunters are generally divided into two categories, Aboriginal and Newfoundland hunters who have both hunted seals in Newfoundland and Labrador for hundreds of years and rely heavily on the income generated from the hunt to survive. To understand some of the… mid-paper environmental issues, those who oppose hunting practices and call for an end to seal hunting are ignoring hunters' rights and the realities surrounding the hunt. using distorted media images to project a negative image about sealers, thus gaining support for their cause. However, this approach fails to recognize the traditional hunting methods of the local Inuit and Newfoundlanders, the extensive regulations that exist to control the number of hunters, and the rights these people have over a resource to which they have had access for hundreds of years and to which now they rely. on subsistence and other income (Knezevic 2009). It has been argued that hunting can be integrated into highly effective conservation efforts that highlight sustainable use as one of the most practical and functional approaches to wildlife and biodiversity conservation (Mahoney and Jackson 2013).