Date
July 21, 2006
Contact
Kristie Phelps
(757) 423-0093
In Defense of Animals
3010 Kerner Blvd
San Rafael
CA 94901
IDA is an international, California-based animal advocacy organization dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of animals by defending their rights, welfare and habitats.
IDA Applauds Golden Gate Restaurant Association for Joining Canadian Seafood Boycott
San Francisco Bay Area restaurants take a stand against baby seal slaughter
San Francisco, Calif.—San Rafael-based In Defense of Animals is applauding the Golden Gate Restaurant Association (GGRA) (www.ggra.org), for its recent release of an official statement against the Canadian seal massacre that encourages their members to buy seafood from non-Canadian suppliers. The Canadian seafood boycott is in response to the cruel and needless slaughter of baby harp and hooded seals in Canada.
Fishermen make money in the off season by taking part in the killing and selling the pelts to European countries where there is a high demand for seal skin clothing. 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.
More than 40 Bay Area restaurants have already agreed to stop selling Canadian seafood. These restaurants reflect the values of millions of individuals worldwide who are working to end the annual slaughter of over 300,000 seals on the Newfoundland ice floes. At least 97% of these seals are helpless babies less than three months old. Eyewitness reports from individuals with animal protection groups documenting the slaughter allege that some are skinned alive while still clearly conscious.
While diners who refuse to buy Canadian seafood greatly impact the industry's economy by voting with their wallets, restaurants have an even greater influence over the market because they purchase seafood in enormous quantities.
By withdrawing their financial support from those who profit directly from the brutal slaughter of seals, restaurants send the Canadian government and fishing industry a powerful message that their inhumane policies are ethically unacceptable and must be changed. These establishments also provide diners with more compassionate choices while educating them about this important animal protection issue.
“Hundreds of thousands of defenseless baby seals are violently clubbed or shot to death every year,” said IDA President Elliot M. Katz, DVM. “We applaud the Golden Gate Restaurant Association and the compassionate restaurants that have taken a stand against this bloodshed. We hope more will join them and make the compassionate decision to stop selling Canadian seafood.”