This year's seal hunt off Newfoundland's northeast coast opened Wednesday, but very few boats are going out to what's known as the Front because of low prices.

Prices this year are expected to be $15 per pelt, less than half of what they were last year. As well, pelt buyers will commit to only buying less than a third of the quota.

Only a handful of boats are sealing this year where there would normally be hundreds. Eric Keats of Joe Batt's Arm said the situation with prices means he'll stay tied up to the wharf.

"More money in picking up cans by the side of the road than there is in sealing. Can't afford to go. Last year we killed a thousand seals … this year I figure if we killed a thousand seals we'd be lucky to break even," he said.

For the first time in almost 40 years, Twillingate sealer Jack Troake isn't going out this year.

"You can't make no money on that. It's impossible," he said.

Troake said he hopes this isn't the end of sealing, but he says it won't be far off unless something's done to counter the anti-sealing campaign.

Fisheries and Oceans set this year's harp seal quota at 280,000 for the entire hunt, including Newfoundland and Labrador — 5,000 more than last year.