OTTAWA, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The bodies of three seal hunters have been recovered and one remains missing after their fishing boat capsized early Saturday in eastern Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard said.

    The 12-meter vessel had steering problems and was being towed by a Canadian Coast Guard ship early Saturday when it overturned about 70 kilometers north of Cape Breton, Canadian Press reported quoting Lt. Lora Collier of the Canadian navy.

    The vessel, from the Iles de la Madeleine in Quebec, was carrying a crew of six when it ran into trouble in the icy waters. Another vessel that was nearby picked up two of the crew members, who were on deck when the boat overturned. The other four men were sleeping below deck when the boat flipped, Collier said.

    Divers were still searching for the fourth missing sealer, he said.

    Canada's annual seal hunt started Friday in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Ottawa has set a quota of 275,000 animals for this year's hunt, up 5,000 from last year.