MikeRock Report post Posted November 20, 2022 Anyone here from Eastern Canada or where ring or harp seals are harvested? Looking for a pair of either tanned or untanned hides to make a pair of mukluks and mittens. God bless, Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kgg Report post Posted November 20, 2022 3 hours ago, MikeRock said: Anyone here from Eastern Canada Yes. You have selected one of the best hides to make great mukluks and mittens but as you are in the USA you well not be able to import legally any seal products including pelts. I think since the early 1970's this ban has been in place. Check out the USA's Marine Mammal Protection Act. kgg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeRock Report post Posted November 20, 2022 These skins are not CITES protected. I thought they were, but the Danes claim not. They DO export to the US. Confused.......but here it is: https://lederiet.com/shop/92-sealskin/4088-seal-skin/ Seal skin 160,86 € All our sealskins are Inuit branded and sustainable. This means that all our sealskins come from seals caught by Greenlandic sealers. When sealskin is Inuit branded, it also means that the entire seal is used. The captives go out primarily to catch food for their families, as the seal meat is a delicacy and an important source of nutrition. The seal's entrails are given to the dogs. The Greenlandic seal hunt has always taken place with respect for nature, and the seal population in Greenland has never been threatened. The skins are categorized as NON CITES products, i.e. skins from non-endangered animals. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kgg Report post Posted November 21, 2022 2 hours ago, MikeRock said: They DO export to the US. I think the trick / loophole is that those pelts are " Inuit branded ". I would contact your customs people for clarification or contact a broker. If you do manage to get some, I can tell you from experience items like hats / mittens / coats there is nothing warmer but can feel heavy. An example of a snowmobile mutt, note the bottom line " This item cannot be shipped to Europe or to the US. " : https://naturalboutique.ca/shop/ols/products/snowmobile-mitts-natural-seal kgg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mulesaw Report post Posted November 21, 2022 I just tried to google a bit, and this page came up: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2011-title19-vol1/pdf/CFR-2011-title19-vol1-sec12-60.pdf On that paper it is specified in section § 12.61 that "(a) Fur-seal or sea-otter skins taken by Indians, Aleuts, or other aborigines under the authority of section 3 of the act, fur-seal skins taken under the authority of the Canadian Government, and fur-seal skins taken on the Pribilof Islands and other specified areas under the authority of section 4 of the act shall be admitted to entry if officially marked and certified as having been lawfully taken and if accompanied by a declaration of the shipper identifying the skins by marks and numbers as those covered by the official certificate." So I would guess that it also applies to seal pelts from Greenland Inuit. But I think the safest bet would be to contact the US customs, it can't hurt to ask them. There is a similar problem in antiques. You can't import an old piano to the US unless you have proof that the ivory on the keys were taken lawfully. And that information doesn't exist on older pianos since it wasn't unlawful at that time to hunt elephants. There is a well known restorer named Patrick Edwards who has a series of very interesting articles on that subject on his blog a couple of years back (not leatherwork related otherwise,). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeRock Report post Posted November 23, 2022 (edited) Thanks guys. I just received a negative from <info@nativecraftsupplies.com>. They said they would only ship to Canada. Years back my Norwegian bride brought over her sealskin boots and mitts. This was 1968 or so. Legal stuff. When she was going back to visit her folks, in Fredrikstad, NO, in the early seventies, she didn't take her sealskin stuff. This was because of the new laws. She passed a few years back and I still have her little toy seal, made of sealskin. When I saw that native craft website, sent by Mulesaw, and the non-CITES reference I thought my dream had finally come true and I could get more seal skins. Rats!! Not to be. God bless, Mike I'll check with customs, but am guessing it will also be a big fat NO. Edited November 23, 2022 by MikeRock Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
