CANADIAN PEOPLE ASKING U.S. TO BOYCOTT OUR FISH

   Dear neighbor, People of the United States of America,
We have an unusual request of you, but then these are unusual circumstances.
The people of Canada signing this petition are asking you to boycott fish from our country.

  Most of Canada does not want the commercial seal hunt, for which our country has unfortunately become known. We understand that we are not alone in this, and that over 70% of Americans want the seal hunt to end. Our government has not listened to our letters, telephone calls, protesting, and the numerous petitions that have been signed over the decades.

   The seal hunt is not sustainable. We as taxpayers have subsidized it for long enough. We do this by paying $4.3 million for Coast Guard support for 2009/2010 alone, $10 million to fight EU ban on seal products at the World Trade Organization, air support, fuel costs, travel expenses for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to try to find a market for their product, that is dead seals. The costs of running this "industry" far exceeds the $1million it brings annually. Our government is showing its irresponsibility to its citizens by currently jeopardizing European Union trade negotiations. A parliament report in February 2011 stated that the annual seal slaughter may have a negative effect on the very trade agreements for which they are working so hard.  The commercial fishermen who kill the seals earn only between $550 and $1,100 per year before taxes, by participating in the seal slaughter. Their full-time employment as fishermen, make up 95% of their income.

  The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has attempted to make it seem as if entire provinces face economic collapse if the seal hunt came to an end. There is a misrepresentation on the part of the government about how many people would be affected by ending the seal hunt.  According to the DFO 6,000 people received "some" income from sealing. This is only 1% of the population of Atlantic Canada. With market for seal products so quickly declining, stopping the seal hunt would be more profitable than having it continue.

 This boycott does not affect the Inuit. The Inuit are not involved in killing hundreds of thousands of seals in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and off the Northern coast of Newfoundland and the Southern coast of Labrador every year. It is an embarrassment for any nation's own people to find it necessary to approach another country for assistance just to be heard by its own government.  However, the seal hunt is a tremendous damage to our economy and needless to say, our reputation in the world.
 
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has shown years of mismanagement. While we realize this should be our problem to solve, our government is doing everything in its power to keep our voices stilled. Since they refuse to pay attention, it has become necessary to directly impact the people who are actually doing the killing. 

We are requesting that you boycott seafood from Canada. Fishermen killing the seals will realize that you have the ability to effect their livelihood if they continue the pursuit of what amounts to pocket change, by slaughtering seals. Actually the fishermen do not have to be effected at all, if they stop the killing of seals.

 It is not our intention to hurt anyone, but rather help this country into better forms of industry. We believe these fishermen would be able to make more of a profit using the beautiful natural resources around us, rather than destroying them. Numerous choices have been presented to the government such as a license buyout, as done with our whalers.  Eco-tourism of the gorgeous ice floes and beautiful seals will be possible, once the ice is no longer blood-stained.

Why are we asking the United States? You purchase 75% of our exported seafood. Your participation will show our government that the world is watching, they need to heed the will of the majority, and our natural treasures can themselves, be industrially profitable. Thank you.  Brand names to boycott below:

• Acadian
• Acadia
• Ackermans
•  Adrice Cormier
• Annapolis Basin
•  Apolo, Atlantic Mariculture
•  Atlantic Pearl,
• Atlantic Silver
• Bacala Rico
• Bay Shore
• Beach Cliff
• Blades, Belle Baie
• Blue Royal
• Botsford
• Breakwater
• Brunswick
• Buena Ventura
• Canadian Gold
• Canadian Star
• Cape Cod
• Canadian Cove
• Cape Cod
• Captain Albert
• Carapec
• Century Seafoods
• Chef Michaels's Flavours
• Chef's Supreme
• ChillSea
• Classic  Clearwater
• Crabterine,
• Cristobal
• Crown Pac,
• Deep Sea,
• Deli Magic
• Deli-Mare
• Downeast, Doyle,
• E & N LeBlanc
• E.J. Greene
• Emerald,
• Fish Basket
• Fisher Boy
• Fisherman's Finest
• Fisherman's Market
• Fishery Products International (FPI)
• Floresta
• Fogo Island
• GEM
• Gina Italian Village
• Granadaisa
• Green Gables
  Gorton's (also supplying large restaurant chains, such as MacDonalsds)
• Harbour View
• Highliner Foods
• IFP
• Indian Bay Wild
• Indian Point Island Blue
• Island Gold
• Island Pride,
• Islandia,
• Jail Island Salmon
• J & J Fisheries
• Kersen
•  La Cultivee
• Linco & LaHave
• Lobsterine Locke,
• Luxury (
• M & M Fisheries
• MacGregor
•  Malagash Oyster
• Malagawatch Oysters,
• Malpeque Oysters
• McGraw
• Merex
• Mersey Point
• Morning Star Fisheries
• Naturally Canadian
• Northern Prawns
• Northland
• Notre Dame Seafoods (NDS)
• Nova Scotia Smoked Salmon,
• Nova Scotian
•  Novie Fresh
• Ocean Choice
• Ocean Elite, Oceanis
• Ocean Leader,
• Ocean Pier
•  Ocean Queen
• Ocean Select
• Oram's Choice
• Orion
• Perle du Golf
• ,Pick O'Sea,
• Polar
• Port Clyde
• President's Choice
• Quinlan
• Quin-Se
• , Royal Star
• Sans Souci
• Scotia Garden
• Sea Best (Beaver Street Co.),
• Seabreeze
• Sea Bright
• Seafreez,
• Sea Fresh
• Seapro
• Sea-licious
• Sea Shell Cuisine
• Shawmut
• Shelly's Cuisine
• Sky, Sogel
• Solomon Grundy
• St. Anthony, St. Mary's River
• St. Paul's, St. Thomas
• Star of the Sea
• Sterling,
• Tatamagouche Bay Oyster
• Terra Vista
• Trawler
• Trico, UMF,
• Wolfhead Smokers,
•  World Catch
•  Vanna,
• Violet brand