Visitors to the Centennial State can help end the world's largest slaughter of marine mammals simply by eating out at some of Colorado's hottest restaurants. Seventy restaurant locations throughout Colorado are participating in The Humane Society of the United States' ProtectSeals campaign by boycotting Canadian seafood until Canada ends its commercial seal hunt for good.
By encouraging restaurants, chefs and consumers to boycott Canadian seafood, The Humane Society of the United States intends to convince Canada's fishing industry to stop participating in and supporting the bloody commercial seal hunt each spring. The current hunt began in March off the east coast of Canada, where as many as 280,000 seal pups could be clubbed or shot to death.
"Not purchasing Canadian seafood is a simple and effective way for me to make my voice heard in Canada. The commercial seal kill must stop, and it must stop now," said Radek Cerny, executive chef and owner of L'Atelier Boulder. Cerny has pledged not to purchase any seafood from Canada until Canada ends its commercial seal hunt.
Restaurants, seafood distributors and grocers participating in the ProtectSeals campaign pledge to avoid Canadian snow crab, or all seafood from Eastern Canada, or seafood from all of Canada until the hunt ends for good. The HSUS has received signed pledges from all boycott participants. Since the launch of the ProtectSeals campaign, the value of Canadian seafood exports to the United States has dropped dramatically, providing clear financial incentive for Canadian fishermen to stop killing seals.
"We are thrilled to have so many chefs and restaurants throughout Colorado aiding us in our efforts to end the slaughter of baby seals in Canada," said Patricia Ragan, director of The HSUS' ProtectSeals Campaign. "What everyone in the United States chooses to eat for dinner tonight amounts to the casting of a vote: Are we going to condone the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of baby seals every year, or are we going to take action to bring it to an end?"
Other participating companies include Whole Foods Markets, Trader Joe's, BI-LO Supermarkets, Harris Teeter, The Fresh Market, Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville Cafés, Ted Turner's steakhouse chain - Ted's Montana Grill, WinCo Foods, Legal Sea Foods, Lowe's Foods and Bon Appétit Management Company. A complete list of restaurants and chefs participating in the boycott is here and a list of grocery stores and other seafood suppliers is here.
Video and stills from the 2009 seal kill are available for media download. For more information about the campaign to save Canadian seals, please visit humanesociety.org/protectseals.
Colorado restaurants and chefs participating in the boycott:
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Follow The HSUS on Twitter.
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 11 million Americans, or one of every 28. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the web at humanesociety.org.
