Officials from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in Canada have said, in meetings with animal protection organizations, that the annual seal massacre will not end until the Canadian fishing industry wants it to end. We can put pressure on this industry by boycotting their products.
Americans purchase about 70% of the seafood exports from Canada. That gives us consumer power! Canadian seafood exports to the U.S. add up to about CAN$3 billion (compared to about CAN$16 million in income from seal pelts). Just making a dent in the sales of Canadian seafood here in the U.S. will pressure the Canadian seafood industry to demand an end to the seal kill.
They are sold in grocery stores where they SHOULD (according to US law) be labeled as coming from Canada, except if they're sold in the fresh fish section already cooked. They are also sold in restaurants and cafeterias.
If any seafood you intend to purchase is not labeled with the country of origin, please ask the clerk, waiter, or manager.
So, if you eat seafood at restaurants or cafeterias, be sure to ask where it's from.
Red Lobster purchases more Canadian seafood than any other restaurant or chain. If they join the Canadian seafood boycott, this will have a huge impact. Parent company Darden management's responses to requests to join the boycott are feeble attempts at playing dumb. Darden management at various times has claimed that they don't understand why they have been targeted, asserted that they "don't serve seal meat", and have claimed that they don't buy seafood from Newfoundland and don't want other companies that may not be directly involved in sealing to be affected. We know that their participation is very important and that the boycott would end much sooner were they to join.
