Canadian coastguard icebreakers are battling to free about 100 sealing vessels stuck in ice off Newfoundland's northeast coast during the country's controversial annual seal hunt.

Department of Fisheries and Oceans spokesman Phil Jenkins said that the ice was close to piercing the hulls of about 15 boats. One crew had already abandoned their vessel.

Harp seals use the ice floes off Newfoundland and in the Gulf of St Lawrence to give birth to their young. This year unusually strong winds have pressed the ice floes towards the coast, trapping the boats.

Brian Penney, a superintendent with the coastguard in Newfoundland and Labrador, said that helicopters could be called in to rescue stranded crews if the wind continues to jam the ice floes together.

"There’s vessels disabled, there’s vessels damaged. There’s crews that are out on the ice because there’s quite a possibility that their vessels may sink or the vessels are out on their sides," Mr Penney said.

The hunters have been set a total quota this year of up to 270,000 young harp seals, down from 335,000 last year. They sell the pelts, mostly for the fashion industry in Norway, Russia and China, as well as blubber for oil.

One of the seal hunters, Gill Cadwell, told CBC television that the ice floes had pushed his boat high out of the water for a time. "I’ve never, ever experienced nothing like this,” he said.

Although Canadian authorities have banned the hunting of newborn "whitecoats" after a global campaign by animal welfare groups, the campaign continues to to end the annual hunt of young seals.

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