Sealers do their work on ice off Catalina, N.L., in 2008. (CBC)

The head of a sealers group in Newfoundland and Labrador hopes Canada's deal to sell seal meat and oil to China will mean more work for seal hunters in Atlantic Canada.

Federal Fisheries Minister Gail Shea has announced in Beijing that the two countries would sign an agreement Thursday.

"I think this can only be a great day for the sealing industry in the province," sealer Mark Small of Wild Cove, on the Baie Verte Peninsula, said Wednesday after Shea's announcement.

Small is president of the Northeast Coast Sealers Co-operative.

Opponents of the seal hunt were quick to condemn Wednesday's announcement, but Shea said she hopes the deal will be a big boost to Canadian seal hunters.

"For the most part, our sealing industry derives its income from the sale of pelts," Shea said from Beijing during a conference call with reporters.

"They don't get a lot of return from the sale of meat and oil, but what we are hoping to do, because China is such a large market, is work with our industry to support them in developing new products … so there is a lot of optimism in the industry today."

The price for seal pelts, which was at a high of more than $100 each a few years ago, sank to $15 last year.

Shea said it is not possible to estimate the value of the deal with China. The market will determine that, she said.

The Newfoundland and Labrador government's support for the sealing industry includes $500,000 allocated each year since 2005 for communications and advocacy work.