Ten metres is the current restricted distance that a licensed observer can approach sealing activity. That distance is safe neither for the hunters nor for the observers themselves, or for the enforcement staff that are responsible to regulate.
Recently there was a story posted online about a hunter in Sweden who was talking about the difficulties they have in achieving their harvest levels because two nautical miles are required. They cannot discharge their firearms at a seal inside two nautical miles of a dwelling or another person doing either fishing activity or sealing activity.
We feel that two nautical miles is prohibitive and not necessarily required, but we feel that expanding the distance from 10 metres to 500 metres for all observers is more than adequate for safety. We feel that it would also still afford ample opportunity for observers to collect any video evidence they may require. The only people where we would see an exception being allowed closer than that would be an approved veterinary study that would be allowed to participate on sealing vessels.