Why a boycott of Canadian seafood?

Seal hunting is an off-season activity conducted by fishers from Canada's East Coast. They earn a small fraction of their incomes from sealing (approximately 2%)—primarily from the sale of pelts to European fashion markets. But the vast majority of the sealers' incomes are from commercial fisheries. Canadian seafood exports to the United States contribute $3 billion annually to the Canadian economy—dwarfing the few million dollars provided by the seal hunt. The connection between the commercial fishing industry and the seal hunt in Canada gives consumers all over the world the power to end this cruel and brutal slaughter.

US citizens: How to boycott Canadian seafood

Here are tips to help you fight Canada's seal hunt by boycotting Canadian seafood.

Read the Label

Under the Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) law, larger grocery chains and seafood distributors must identify seafood—whether fresh, frozen, or canned—by country of origin. When shopping at these places, you can clearly identify Canadian seafood products.

Talk to the Manager

Small stores and fish markets are not required to display the country of origin for the seafood they sell, but they may voluntarily do so. In situations where the country of origin is not identified, ask the manager.

Talk to the Waiter

Restaurants are also not required to identify the country of origin for the seafood products they sell, but many voluntarily do so. In situations where it is not identified, ask the waiter. Some restaurants have already joined the boycott.

Explain Why

Whenever you decide not to purchase Canadian seafood, explain that you are doing so in protest of Canada's seal hunt, and ask the store, market, or restaurant manager or owner to join you.

Twenty Common Seafood Imports from Canada*

Cod, flounder, haddock, herring, lobster, mackerel, mussels, oysters, perch, sardines, scallops, shrimp, snow crabs (85% of snow crabs sold in the United States are from Canada), sole, tuna, swordfish, trout, whitefish, and yellow perch.

*Note: The United States produces many of these seafood products itself and also imports some of them from countries other than Canada. So it is important to make sure, either through the label or by asking the manager, that the seafood product you are choosing not to buy really does come from Canada.

Let Canada Know

Please tell James Scott Peterson, Canada's International Trade Minister, that you are choosing to boycott Canadian seafood products until the commercial seal hunt is ended for good. Direct your letters, calls, faxes, and emails to:

The Honourable James Scott Peterson
Minister, International Trade Canada
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON  K1A 0G2
613-992-7332
Fax: 613-996-8924
Email: peterj@parl.gc.ca

Sample Boycott Letter for US citizens

Dear Mr. Scott Peterson,

As a citizen of the United States and as a consumer of seafood, I am writing to express my condemnation of the commercial seal hunt. I am also writing to notify you that I will be boycotting Canadian seafood. I will support the Canadian Seafood Boycott for as long as it takes to end the commercial seal hunt and will encourage my friends and family to do the same.

There is no conceivable justification for the mass slaughter of 325,000 seal pups per year. Nor is there any plausible argument that could convince an educated public that the seal hunt is humane. A 2001 report by an independent team of veterinarians concluded that governmental regulations regarding humane killing were neither being respected nor enforced, and that the seal hunt failed to comply with Canada’s basic animal welfare regulations. The veterinarians found a disturbing number of seals (as many as 42%) were most likely skinned while alive and conscious.

It is absolutely unacceptable that the federal government of Canada continues to encourage the decimation of a wildlife population that is beloved by people all over the world.

Recent polling clearly shows that close to 80% of Americans and Europeans oppose the seal hunt, with a substantial number willing to boycott Canadian seafood to ensure that it ends.

I demand that you act according to the will of the majority of Canadian people, 70% of whom believe that seals under a year of age should be protected from all hunting. End this cruel and unsustainable hunt for harp and hooded seals permanently. Until you do, I will boycott Canadian seafood whenever I shop or eat out.

Sincerely,

[Your signature here]

[Your name printed here]