Red Lobster is a major importer of Canadian Seafood. The fisherman make a small amount on the side by killing seals, and it is subsized by the government to keep the Newfoundlanders employed.
HSUS ProtectSeals Seafood Boycott Contributes to a 44 Percent Decline in Seafood Exports from Newfoundland
March 17, 2008
Newest statistics about the growth of The Humane Society of the United States' ProtectSeals campaign, along with recent trade data from the Government of Canada show Newfoundland's fishery has had staggering losses since the boycott went into effect in March 2005.
Trade data shows the 2007 value of exports to the U.S. from the Newfoundland fishing and seafood preparation industries decreased by 44 percent compared to 2004, the last year prior to the boycott. For Canada as a whole, the value of exports to the U.S. from the fishing and seafood preparation industries decreased by 22 percent.
More than 550,000 individuals and 3,500 businesses have pledged to avoid some or all Canadian seafood until the commercial seal hunt is ended for good. The ProtectSeals seafood boycott is having a clear impact, and is providing a strong incentive for Canada's fishing industry to sever its ties with the cruel and needless seal slaughter.
Companies participating in the ProtectSeals seafood boycott are avoiding all snow crabs from Canada. Some are avoiding all seafood from sealing provinces, and some are avoiding all seafood from Canada. Newfoundland, Canada's main sealing province, is impacted by all of these actions.
Seal hunt advocates regularly attempt to blame fishing industry's woes on exchange rates and fuel costs. "All exports from Canada to the U.S. face the same exchange rate and fuel issues," Pat Ragan director of the ProtectSeals campaign points out. "In exactly the same economic conditions and time period that seafood exports have collapsed, exports from non-seafood industries in Newfoundland are up by a wide margin. The boycott – not the exchange rate – is specifically targeting seafood."
ProtectSeals participants are making clear to Canada's fishing industry that there are certain practices that are simply inconsistent with responsible, humane marine stewardship and the commercial seal hunt is one of them.
This year's slaughter will begin in just a few weeks, with the 2008 harp seal quota set at 275,000.
full article
http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/protectseals_boycott_contributes_to_seafood_export_decline_031708.htmlSeal Hunt Main Page, Humane Society
http://www.hsus.org/protect_seals.htmlStory of Sedna - Inuit Protectress of the Sea Beasts
http://www.angelfire.com/dragon2/leavesandtrees/hunted/seal/sednathule.html