The European Union closed its borders to seal products last year, when an EU court allowed the imposition of the ban even though a Canadian legal challenge was 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," Shea said.
Shea said the challenge would not have a bearing on ongoing negotiations on a Canada-EU free trade agreement, which is expected to affect billions of dollars worth of trade. Canada's seal trade with Europe was worth only several millions of dollars a year.
"Both sides have agreed that this issue will be resolved outside the free-trade agreement process, and will be resolved at the WTO," Shea told reporters outside the House of Commons.
Dispute panels normally take 12 to 18 months to deliberate. The request for a panel comes after the failure of two sets of formal consultations to resolve the issue.
Shea said the panel would help take the emotion out of a ban that she said had "no basis in fact or in science." Animals rights activists said the harvest, which involves shooting or clubbing the animals to death, is inhumane.
Her announcement came as Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper was touring the Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador, where many sealers are based. The Conservatives are hoping to win seats in Newfoundland in the next election. They won none in the last election in 2008. (Reuters)
