Canada's 2008 annual commercial seal hunt in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and around Newfoundland, Quebec and Nova Scotia began on March 28. The hunting season lasts from mid-November to mid-May, but the hunt mainly occurs in March and April. Canada's seal hunt is the world's largest hunt for marine mammals. Some animal rights groups were given observer permits and monitored the hunt. They said it was cruel and that it ravaged the seal population. Sealers said it was sustainable, humane, and well-managed. The pelts and oil were sold to buyers in Norway, Russia, and China.