The following is a 11 February 2011 news release by Reuters Canada.

Canada will ask the World Trade Organization to set up a formal dispute resolution panel to address the European Union's ban on trade of seal products, Canadian Fisheries Minister Gail Shea said on Friday.

The European Union closed its borders to seal products last year, when an EU court decided to impose a ban even though a legal challenge from Canadian seal hunters is still in progress.

"By moving ahead with this World Trade Organization challenge, we stand behind the thousands of Canadians in coastal and northern communities who depend on the seal harvest to provide a livelihood for their families," said Shea.