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.



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:
www.harpseals.org
www.protectseals.org