The Humane Society of the United States is conducting a boycott of Canadian seafood products to protest the cruel baby seal hunt. Last year 350,000 fur seals, mostly infants and some as young as 12 days, were clubbed or shot for their fur in Newfoundland. According to reports some were skinned while still conscious. Please help stop this barbaric and unnecessary hunt by pledging to boycott Canadian seafood. http://www.protectseals.org/.
Baby seal slaughter is an off season activity for Canadian fishermen who earn a small supplement to their income by selling skins to the fur industry. The Canadian fishing industry is a $3 billion business compared to the $17.5 million paid for seal skins (2005). The boycott is having an effect since Canada's snow crab export to the U.S. has suffered a $350 million (Canadian) decline. That is a 36% decline from pre boycot trade levels. As with any boycott, the more people who participate, the more effective it is. The European Union is also working on a ban of trade in seal products. Belgium, the first European country to do so, has already banned seal products.