What's it all about?

More than 6,500 restaurants and grocery stores (in addition to 800,000 individuals) have joined the Protect Seals boycott of Canadian seafood.Chefs and companies participating in the Protect Seals campaign have pledged to avoid some* or all Canadian seafood until Canadian fishermen from Canada's east coast stop—once and for all—the commercial seal hunt.*

Why Canadian seafood?

Each spring off the east coast of Canada, tens of thousands of seal pups are shot and clubbed to death by Canadian fishermen. Most of the pups haven't eaten their first solid meal at the time they're killed. Many are skinned alive.

These seals are killed by commercial fishermen. The fishermen who kill seal pups each spring make 95% of their income from selling seafood and only 5% from killing seals. U.S. companies have the power to help shift Canada toward responsible marine stewardship.Mario Batali, Cat Cora, Curtis Stone, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Legal Sea Foods are among the many companies and chefs who are, through participating in this campaign, showing the world and their customers that they are compassionate stewards of the marine environment.

A bit more about Canada's seal hunt

Each year, 98 percent of the harp seals killed are less than three months old, defenseless against the club-wielding sealers who routinely drag conscious pups across the ice with boat hooks, and even skin some seals alive. Nearly a million seal pups have been slaughtered for their fur over the last three years, in spite of warm temperatures that melted the ice and caused many pups to drown. If you own a restaurant or grocery store, please take a moment to join the Protect Seals campaign. Your pledge will help bring the cruel and needless commercial slaughter of seal pups to an end!For a more in-depth look at the boycott, please visit our boycott highlights page.

• Chefs and restaurants owners: Click here to join the boycott of Canadian seafood now.
• Individuals: You can sign your own pledge as well.
• Hang an original Nigel Barker print in your restaurant: Check out Nigel Barker's photos of seals. You can now purchase authentic Nigel Barker prints online.