Whitby company illegally sold seal oil

A Whitby-based company has pleaded guilty to violating U.S. law by illegally selling seal oil capsules to American customers.

The oil is made from the blubber of seals and sold as a nutritional supplement with a promise of containing healthy fats.

The company, FeelGood Natural Health Stores, sold and transported capsules made from harp seals, the U.S. Department of Justice said Monday. The company’s actions are illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which makes it unlawful to transport or sell any marine mammal or byproducts for most commercial purposes.

FeelGood shipped more than 900 bottles of the capsules worth more than $10,000 to the U.S. from 2019 to 2021, the Justice Department said.

“The illegal importation of marine mammal products not only violates the Marine Mammal Protection Act but also jeopardizes the safety of protected species such as harp seals,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan, which prosecuted the case.

Harp seals are listed as a special species of “least concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, though their population declined to low levels in the 1960s due to hunting.

FeelGood entered its plea on Monday and will be sentenced on Sept. 28. Representatives did not respond to requests for comment.