Canadian officials defended the start of the annual seal hunt as a financial necessity for isolated communities, as sealers faced pressure from a possible European Union ban.

A top Canadian Inuit official defended his country’s seal hunt today, saying it was vital to the survival of aboriginal peoples in the Arctic and provided an economic lifeline for an area desperate for jobs and growth.

Canadians will determine today whether to send the Liberals packing after 13 years of rule and give the Conservatives a crack at repairing relations with Washington and tackling thorny issues such as health care, tax cuts, child care and crime.