The photos, circulated by the prime minister's office, were both a poke in the eye of the European Union, which recently banned the import of seal products, and a gesture of solidarity with Canada's Inuit, for whom the fishy-tasting meat is a staple.

ECONOMIST: The prime minister tries to marry defence and welfare

It was signed by the governments of Canada and Quebec and by Inuit representatives.

BBC: The overwhelming majority of Nunavik residents are Inuit

These changes have been particularly evident to Inuit hunters of Clyde River in Nunavut (Canada) since the 1990s.

UNESCO: Weathering uncertainty in the Arctic