The future of Canada's commercial harp seal hunt, a centuries-old industry and way of life for several thousand East Coast fishermen, was plunged into uncertainty yesterday after the European Union proposed a partial ban on seal products.

The legislation, if approved, would prohibit the EU from importing seal products from countries that "practise cruel hunting methods" -- wording that critics say is fraught with ambiguity.

For weeks, the sealing industry -- most of which is based in Newfoundland -- had been bracing to learn details of the proposal from EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas.

An import ban could deliver a devastating blow to Atlantic Canadian fishermen who rely on the annual hunt as a source of income, but the measure must first win approval from the EU's 27 member states.

The ban would shut down critical shipment points for the sealing industry, including Holland and Germany.

Canada's largest markets for seal products, such as Russia, China and Norway, are outside the EU. But sealing industry experts fear a ban would curb the demand for sealskins from the fashion industry and disrupt shipping routes.

"It will be interesting to see now if this is the final end, to see what kind of a stand that Ottawa takes on our behalf, which I'm pretty well sure won't be very harsh," said Jack Troake, who has hunted seals off the coast of Twillingate, N.L., since 1951.

Dimas's move comes despite lobbying efforts from the Canadian and Newfoundland and Labrador governments, and after intense pressure from animal welfare organizations.