By Gail Berrigan
The restaurant in Washington's up-and-coming U. Street Corridor showed all the signs of a happening place on Tuesday afternoon.
In addition to the red carpet, velvet ropes, and bouncers in dark glasses standing guard at the door, dozens of the city's top chefs mingled out front, despite the heat of the day.
The latest culinary trend in D.C. is seals—that is, the humane treatment of seals.
The event—hosted at Policy restaurant by Chefs for Seals, a D.C.-based group of prominent chefs opposed to Canada’s commercial seal hunt, and The Humane Society of the United States' ProtectSeals campaign—brought together local chefs and restaurateurs who had signed The HSUS's pledge to boycott Canadian seafood. The event was organized by Meshelle and Cathal Armstrong of Restaurant Eve and Ellen and Todd Gray of Equinox.
"We can turn the tide"
"America's Next Top Model" judge and fashion photographer Nigel Barker came to photograph the show of solidarity by the District's culinary leaders. Barker is an outspoken advocate for the cause, having accompanied the ProtectSeals team to Canada in 2008. His documentary, A Sealed Fate, bears witness to his experiences on the ice before and after the hunt.
Barker was joined at the event by celebrity chef Michel Richard of Citronelle and Bethenny Frankel, author of Naturally Thin and one of the stars of "The Real Housewives of New York City."
"People accept the ethical treatment of cats and dogs, and other animals are no different," she said, explaining why she was drawn to the seals event.
Strength in numbers
Over 70 chefs attended the afternoon event—an unusual assembly, given the approaching dinner hour. Meshelle Armstrong, of Chefs for Seal and the event's principal organizer, was motivated to get the group together to send a stronger message about the boycott.
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| D.C. chefs Robert Wiedmaier, Cathal Armstrong, Victor Albisu, Jeff Black, and Meshelle Armstrong. Michelle Riley/The HSUS | View all images on Flickr» |
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"The voice of our restaurant community is strong; we can turn the tide in ending the largest slaughter of marine mammals on earth," said Meshelle. "We have to be involved in our ecology—there isn’t that much time left. Global opinion regarding the humane treatment of animals has increased dramatically."
Seal boycott a sign of change in the industry
Today's chefs recognize—and some embrace—the moral underpinnings of our food choices as an important trend in the food industry.
Ellen Gray and Chef Todd Gray of Equinox restaurant in D.C. are strong advocates of both sustainable fishing and humane farming. According to Ellen, "You can’t just jump on the organic and free-range bandwagon when there are so many other issues involved in the animal production of food."
At their restaurant, the Grays publicize the Certified Humane label and talk to customers about what it means.
"Restaurants are a great place to spread the word about animal issues because everyone listens to chefs," Ellen says. This applies to both customers and to other chefs. Both Todd Gray and Cathal Armstrong are well-respected chefs, and their concern over animal welfare issues has influenced others in their profession.
Still, Ellen says, there is work to be done in the industry to educate chefs and encourage them to make more humane choices. "You got them here today," she says, "now keep telling them what to buy."
Seal hunt not over yet
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D.J. Josh Madden gets the party started in the upstairs lounge at Policy restaurant in D.C.. Michelle Riley/The HSUS
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To underscore the participation of chefs in the boycott of Canadian seafood, a mural with the words "Save the Seals" painted by local graffiti artist Andrew Funk served as the backdrop for Nigel Barker's group photo. Visiting chefs also had an opportunity to leave their hand prints in red on a large canvas titled "In Our Hands." The canvas will tour galleries around the country to promote the boycott.
Recalling the seal campaign of the 1970s, one guest remarked, "I remember having a poster of a doe-eyed white baby seal in my room—right next to my Led Zeppelin poster. Then the campaign ended."
But the hunt hasn't ended yet—though it's getting close, according to Rebecca Aldworth, director of Humane Society International (Canada) and a leader of the fight to end the commercial seal hunt in Canada for over a decade.
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| Photographer Nigel Barker works with ProtectSeals leader Rebecca Aldworth to Save the Seals. Michelle Riley/The HSUS | View all images on Flickr» |
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"We had such a prolific campaign in the 1960s and 1970s that the movement to save seals became a household word. In 1987, the Canadian government banned the commercial killing of newborn harp seals, and we thought the seal hunt was over.
“Unfortunately, today the seal kill is twice as big as it was before. So, it’s ironic that many people still believe that the seal hunt was ended in the 1980s."
The boycott to Save the Seals has had a big impact on both the price of Canadian seafood and the volume of seafood exports from Canada. Aldworth maintains that boycotting seafood is still the most effective means to protest the hunt and that the restaurant industry plays an important role in its success.
A long-time compass of the nation's gustatory tastes, chefs appear to be pointing the way in our collective determination to bring moral considerations to the table now as well.
What You Can Do
Join the boycott of Canadian seafood»
Here are all the restaurants participating already»
