Hunts for seals and whales in the North Atlantic provide meat for the table and skins for clothing. Previously, the oil from the blubber was also used for ligh-ting. In the case of the industrial hunt, for most of its history the oil was by far the most important product, be it for ligh-ting, lubrication, in the production of margarine and other food stuffs, or as an integral part of a wide range of industrial processes.
Today, the economy of sealing is based on the skins, with blubber fetching very poor prices. New dres-sing techniques developed around 1960 led to softer and lighter furs and higher prices. The short-haired skins provide garments that are lighter, harder-wearing and more water-resistant than other furs. Sealskin fur is also often used to trim the edges of other garments.
The Danish royal family has taken a particular fancy to the beautiful sealskin furs produced by the Great Greenland fur company of Greenland, whose collection is designed by an exci-ting combination of established names and young, bold and promising ones.
In Denmark sealskins are an integral part of contemporary fashion, and wearers of sealskin coats are seen on every street corner. More and more people are beco-ming aware that true «ecological furs» are not derived from petrochemicals, but from sealskins. There are also local dress-making shops throughout Greenland that make traditional items such as sealskin boots that are still considered the best defence against the Arctic cold. In Russia, Canada and Norway too, local companies produce sealskin garments, but most of the skins from these countries are sold to fur factories abroad.
When it comes to whaling, the meat is generally the most important product, but for the Inuit the skin is just as valuable. Called mattak, it is a much coveted deli-cacy. Whale meat is lean and tasty, and is also healthy. The polyunsaturates found in the blubber, and also to a lesser extent in the meat, mean that you can enjoy your whale meat without worrying about heart disease. Indeed, studies have shown that seal and whale oil can actually help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Traditionally, only a small part of the meat from industrial sealing was kept for consumption, and the meat that was landed was salted. In both Canada and Norway, salted seal flippers are a local delicacy. Work is now being carried out to ensure that all the meat is kept, and the Norwegian and Canadian authorities have put considera-ble effort into develo-ping the product. This work has progressed well, and today most of the meat is kept. A substantial amount of it is used in pet food.