Canada's fisheries minister has issued a stern reproach to European lawmakers over a proposed ban on seal products from countries that "practice cruel hunting methods."

The European Union's environment commissioner Stavros Dimas put forward the legislation Wednesday with the goal of leveraging seal-hunting countries to improve practices that he said are often "gruesome" and unacceptable.

Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn reacted swiftly, vowing to stand up for Canadian hunters and warning the EU members they were on thin ice.

"Once again, we would like to caution European decision-makers: adopting broad regulations to ban products from a responsible, sustainable and well-regulated hunt is a slippery slope," Hearn said in a statement.

"To bow to misinformation and emotional rhetoric in restricting the trade of humanely harvested animals would set a dangerous precedent for all wild hunts."

The 27-members of the EU and the European Parliament would have to back the proposal for it to take effect.

Rebecca Aldworth, a spokesperson for the U.S. Humane Society, said the animal rights group was pleased with the proposal.

"It's a very strong step at this stage in the process and we are absolutely thrilled this has come out of the commission," she told NTV News.

"This is just a first step and now it goes to parliament. But given that, I believe, 425 members of the European parliament signed the original written declaration, which called for a total ban on sealing products, I believe this proposal will only be strengthened."

Proposal review

Hearn said the government, provinces and stakeholders will be reviewing in coming months how the proposed regulations, and any possible exemptions, would affect Canada.

Canadian hunters and exporters maintain their practices are humane and that the hunt is sustainable and vital to many isolated communities in Atlantic Canada. If it is brought into law, the legislation could virtually eliminate a key market for Canadian hunters.

Mike Hearn, veteran sealer in Newfoundland, said Canada should counter any potential ban with trade barriers of its own.

"We may need things they have. But they certainly need a lot of things that we have in this country," said Hearn. :I think we have to step up to the plate and make them answer for what they're doing."

In recent years the Canadian hunt has become tense as animal rights activists from around the world come to observe, document and protest the hunt.

This spring, tensions were highest when members of the Sea Shepherd Society clashed with the Canadian Coast Guard as it tried to impose a limit on how close the activists could come to sealing vessels.

Ban 'cautiously welcomed'

The International Fund for Animal Welfare "cautiously welcomed" the EU's proposed move.

"It's a very positive step. Closing the European markets to Canadian seal products should give our government a serious wake-up call," Sheryl Fink, researcher with the IFAW said in a news release.

"This proposal shows that the European Commission is concerned about the cruelty inherent in commercial seal hunts, and understands the importance of animal welfare for European citizens. It's too bad our politicians don't pay the same attention to Canadian concerns."

With a report from NTV News