More Restuarants Joining Canadian Seafood Boycott, So Seals Can Be Protected.

[Guest guest]

More L.A. restuarants join Canadian Seafood Boycott.

Omaha's own Dundee Dell is Boycott Leader in Metro!

 

 

 

MORE LOS ANGELES AREA RESTAURANTS JOIN SEAFOOD BOYCOTT

TO PROTECT SEALS

 

 

WASHINGTON (November 7, 2005) – The Humane Society of

the United States (HSUS) announced today that five

more restaurants in the Los Angeles area have

responded to The HSUS’ call for a boycott of seafood

from Canada until that country’s annual slaughter of

hundreds of thousands of seals is permanently halted.

The HSUS has also noted that Canadian snow crab

exports to the United States have dropped by $156

million—nearly ten times the value of the seal hunt

and a thirty-six percent drop since the seafood

boycott began.

 

The hunt is undeniably cruel—baby seals are clubbed or

shot to death primarily for their pelts—many are

skinned while still alive and conscious. The U.S. has

long banned imports of seal products, but the market

for seal pelts in Europe provides an incentive for the

sealers to take to the ice every spring to kill as

many seals as they can. This year’s hunt, with over

300,000 baby seals slaughtered, was the largest

killing of marine mammals in the world. Over 42% were

skinned alive!

 

The California restaurants joining the boycott are:

 

Geoffrey’s Malibu

The Arroyo Chop House

Malibu Seafood and Fresh Fish Market

The Kitchen

Pacifico’s

 

They join other restaurants across the country such as

Tavern on the Green, and companies like Legal Sea

Foods, Down East Seafood, Whole Foods Markets, Wild

Oats Markets, Original Fish, The Plitt Seafood Company

and Spectrum Organics in the United States, and Marks

and Spencer in the United Kingdom in taking steps to

reduce or end their Canadian seafood sales.

 

“We applaud these restaurants for joining the campaign

and their support is timely. This week, The Department

of Fisheries and Oceans is meeting in Canada to

determine the sealing plan for the next five years,”

said Pat Ragan, director of The HSUS Protect Seals

campaign. “It is imperative that American consumers

send Canada a loud and clear message that they will

not buy seafood from Canada or travel there if this

cruel hunt is allowed to continue.”

Seventy percent of Canadian seafood is exported to the

United States, producing $2.8 billion annually for the

Canadian economy and making the industry a viable

target for a boycott. The implementation of

country-of-origin labeling for seafood products will

makes it easy for consumers to determine which

products come from Canada. More than 120,000

individuals have already signed The HSUS boycott

pledge on the web site, www.ProtectSeals.org, which

also provides a downloadable pocket guide to the most

common Canadian seafood products, such as snow crabs.

 

Sealing is an off-season activity conducted by

commercial fishermen from Canada’s East Coast. Even in

Newfoundland, where more than 90 percent of the

sealers live, sealing income accounts for less than

one percent of that province’s gross domestic product

and only two percent of the landed value of

Newfoundland’s fishery. “The Canadian government and

fishing industry clearly have an economic choice to

make,” said Ragan.

 

The Humane Society of the United States is the

nation’s largest animal protection organization

representing nearly 10 million members and

constituents. The non-profit organization is a

mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in

companion animals and equine protection, disaster

preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat

protection, animals in research and farm animal

welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through

education, investigation, litigation, legislation,

advocacy, and field work. The group is based in

Washington and has numerous field representatives

across the country.

 

The Humane Society of the United States

2100 L St., NW

Washington, DC 20037

www.hsus.org

Promoting the Protection of All Animals

 

See also:

http://www.harpseals.org

 

http://www.protectseals.org

http://www.seashepherd.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005