Seal skin sporrans

[haxtonhouse]

I live in Alaska, and a friend gave me a seal skin jacket. I am making it into sporrans! I made a nice sporran out of a beaver pelt for practice. I have been doing leather work for years, but have only made a few sporrans. The seal skin jacket is VERY old, but I put soaked some leather restorer into it, and it has made it much softer. I am worried that sometime in the future the hair may slip (fall out), but I think that the sporrans will last a while before that happens. I will post some pics maybe tomorrow...

[ForresterModern]

You might want to reconsider making sealskin sporrans from the coat. Seal fur (and the seals it normally protects) are protected under the Marine Mammals Act of 19-whatever, and possession of sealskin products is specifically against US law, with the exception of certain indigenous peoples who may have specific exclusions. I am not aware of there being any other exclusions, including any "grandfather" exclusions for seal fur that may have been harvested before the MMA, but I could be wrong. Unless you or those to whom you give seal fur sporrans to fall within those extremely narrow exclusions you and them could/would be breaking the US law and potentially subject to arrest and prosecution by whatever federal agency would oversee such laws. It is a big enough deal that our scottish and canadian cousins know well enough to not send/sell/bring such seal fur products to the US under any circumstances for fear of having them confiscated or worse formal charges filed and prosecution. Last time I checked Alaska was still part of the US, although some of those indigenous peoples to whom I was referring still reside in Alaska.

[haxtonhouse]

I checked into it... you can purchase items that are made from seal skin from natives, but you cannot buy a whole hide or skin. It has to have been "tooled". Also, my mother just brought a seal sporran back for me from Scotland last summer, and she declared it at customs and it was not a problem- just had to pay duties on it.

[ForresterModern]

I was wrong, there is a grandfather clause for pre-1972 harvested materials, but you have to be able to prove it was harvested pre-1972.

Not sure where you got your information but according to the portions of the regs I read you would/could still be in trouble, even if customs (in error) signed off on your imported Scottish seal fur sporran:

"(A) A marine mammal product may be imported into the United States if the product—

(i) was legally possessed and exported by any citizen of the United States in conjunction with travel outside the United States, provided that the product is imported into the United States by the same person upon the termination of travel;

(ii) was acquired outside of the United States as part of a cultural exchange by an Indian, Aleut, or Eskimo residing in Alaska; or

(iii) is owned by a Native inhabitant of Russia, Canada, or Greenland and is imported for noncommercial purposes in conjunction with travel within the United States or as part of a cultural exchange with an Indian, Aleut, or Eskimo residing in Alaska.

For the purposes of this paragraph, the term—

(i) "Native inhabitant of Russia, Canada, or Greenland" means a person residing in Russia, Canada, or Greenland who is related by blood, is a member of the same clan or ethnological grouping, or shares a common heritage with an Indian, Aleut, or Eskimo residing in Alaska; and

(ii) "cultural exchange" means the sharing or exchange of ideas, information, gifts, clothing, or handicrafts between an Indian, Aleut, or Eskimo residing in Alaska and a Native inhabitant of Russia, Canada, or Greenland, including rendering of raw marine mammal parts as part of such exchange into clothing or handicrafts through carving, painting, sewing, or decorating.

(b) Exemptions for Alaskan natives Except as provided in section 1379 of this title, the provisions of this chapter shall not apply with respect to the taking of any marine mammal by any Indian, Aleut, or Eskimo who resides in Alaska and who dwells on the coast of the North Pacific Ocean or the Arctic Ocean if such taking—

(1) is for subsistence purposes; or

(2) is done for purposes of creating and selling authentic native articles of handicrafts and clothing: Provided, That only authentic native articles of handicrafts and clothing may be sold in interstate commerce: And provided further, That any edible portion of marine mammals may be sold in native villages and towns in Alaska or for native consumption. For the purposes of this subsection, the term "authentic native articles of handicrafts and clothing" means items composed wholly or in some significant respect of natural materials, and which are produced, decorated, or fashioned in the exercise of traditional native handicrafts without the use of pantographs, multiple carvers, or other mass copying devices. Traditional native handicrafts include, but are not limited to weaving, carving, stitching, sewing, lacing, beading, drawing and painting; "

The MMA products can only be trafficked between the specific native americans and other specific foreign natives, namely those of Greenland, Russian or Canadian origin.

Full version of the specifics of the act in legalese available here::

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/laws/mmpa/text.htm

[Arnot]

I think maybe (i) needs to be looked at a bit closer. That bit would suggest that if the product was legally obtained it would be legal for the individual to bring it into the country.

[davidg]

my mother just brought a seal sporran back for me from Scotland last summer, and she declared it at customs and it was not a problem- just had to pay duties on it.

Surprised they allowed it in but it is something unlikely to happen in the future. There is now a ban in Scotland on the use of seal skins. Grandfather rights exist if you can prove them and there are still a few sealskin sporrans around for sale whilst stocks last. No new ones coming onto the market though unless they are made from an existing stock of skins which I think only one sporran maker currently has

[M. A. C. Newsome]

I am fairly sure that actually possessing a seal skin is NOT illegal, nor is making an item (like a sporran) illegal.

What is illegal would be to then sell that item, and that does not sound like what the OP is intending.

[ForresterModern]

In plain language, I believe (A.i.) states that if you legally own and possess it in the US and take it to another country (export it) you have the right to bring it back (import it) into the US after completing your travels.

[Spartan Tartan]

In plain language, I believe (A.i.) states that if you legally own and possess it in the US and take it to another country (export it) you have the right to bring it back (import it) into the US after completing your travels.

Just be sure you have all your proper documentation in order! Sounds like the initial jacket might have been a gift from a "Native" Alaskan.

[haxtonhouse]

Just be sure you have all your proper documentation in order! Sounds like the initial jacket might have been a gift from a "Native" Alaskan.

It was a gift from a Native Alaskan (who is the only person in this area of Alaska that has a native hunting permit for seals and the only one allowed to sell seal skin products). The sporran I got from Scotland is one that was made from existing stock (cost more than my Newsome kilt!) I am not planning on selling any sporrans made from the seal skin, I am just making one for myself, one each for my 4 sons, and one for the friend who gave me the jacket.