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The European Union is considering taking measures against Canada over its annual seal hunt Spokeswoman Barbara Helfferich said the EU’s Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas "is looking into the matter of the inhumane killing of seals". One option for the EU would be a ban on seal imports, although there was no sign that this was under immediate consideration. Belgium and the Netherlands have already taken this step, and the United States has banned Canadian seal products since 1972. The EU barred the import of white pelts taken from baby seals in 1983, but a wider ban would have serious consequences for hunters and their communities, which rely heavily on the seal hunt. This year there are new rules in place—such as making sure the animals are dead before they are skinned, as recommended by the EU in December—which are designed to appease concerns in Europe. The authorities have set a limit for the catch of 275,000 seals, a rise from 270,000 last year.