WASHINGTON — The Humane Society of the United States is pleased to welcome Yoke's Fresh Market to its roster of more than 4,500 grocery stores and restaurants that are participating in the ProtectSeals campaign to help end Canada's commercial seal hunt. Other participating companies include WinCo Foods, PCC Natural Markets, Whole Foods Markets, Trader Joe's, Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville Cafés, Ted Turner's steakhouse chain - Ted's Montana Grill, Harris Teeter and Bon Appétit Management Company.
"We believe it is proper for us to stand with other grocers, restaurants and suppliers against this inhumane slaughter," said John Bole, CEO and president of Yoke's Fresh Market. "As an employee-owned company we feel it is appropriate to take this position on behalf of our employees. This is the right thing to do."
Yoke's Fresh Market has pledged not to sell any Canadian seafood from the seal-hunting provinces in its grocery stores until Canada ends its commercial seal hunt for good.
"I'm very happy to welcome Yoke's Fresh Market to the ProtectSeals campaign. Yoke's is another bright star in the constellation of companies across the states of Washington and Idaho that are working to encourage Canada's fishing industry to stop supporting and participating in the commercial slaughter of seal pups," said Patricia Ragan, director of the ProtectSeals campaign.
Yoke's Fresh Market is an employee-owned Spokane, Was. based chain of grocery stores founded in 1946 by Marshall and Harriet Yoke. The chain was established by their son Chuck in the 1960's and now encompasses 13 stores in Washington and Idaho, primarily in the Spokane area.
Since the launch of the ProtectSeals campaign, the value of Canadian seafood exports to the United States has dropped dramatically, providing financial incentive for Canadian fishermen to stop supporting and participating in the annual seal hunt.
Facts about Canada's Commercial Seal Hunt:
- Canada's commercial seal hunt is the world's largest slaughter of marine mammals, with nearly one million seals killed in the past five years.
- 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 signed pledges from all boycott participants.
- Provinces that participate in the annual seal kill include Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Quebec.
- Canada exports nearly two-thirds of its seafood to the U.S. producing $2.5 billion annually for the Canadian economy, compared to less than $8 million generated in 2008 by the commercial seal hunt.
- More than 95 percent of the seals killed each year in the commercial seal hunt are less than three months of age. The majority are about one month of age or less. Many have not yet eaten their first solid meal or learned to swim properly at the point they are killed.
- Because of global warming, ice is thinning in the Canadian birthing grounds of the harp seal. In 2007, more than 90 percent of the seal pups died in the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence due to melting ice. Despite this, Canada went on with the hunt.
- Since the ProtectSeals seafood boycott went into effect, the value of seafood industry exports from Canada to the United States has fallen dramatically.
- Nigel Barker, noted photographer and judge from America's Next Top Model, is a spokesperson for the campaign. Nigel accompanied HSUS staff to the ice floes this past spring to photograph the seal nursery and document the hunt.
For more information about the campaign to save Canadian seals, please visit humanesociety.org/protectseals.
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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. 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.
