CELEBRITY CHEF SANDRA LEE HAS RECIPE TO SAVE THE SEALS—BOYCOTT CANADIAN SEAFOOD



WASHINGTON (December 5, 2005) – The Humane Society of the United States announced today that celebrity Chef Sandra Lee has signed on to the boycott of Canadian seafood until that country’s annual slaughter of hundreds of thousands of seals is permanently halted. A renowned chef and cookbook author, Lee is a popular guest on national television and has created many award-winning product lines for the home and garden. Her newest book is Semi-Homemade Cooking II.



The HSUS launched a boycott of Canadian seafood this year in response to the Canadian government’s continued support for a massive hunt of baby seals killed for their fur. A team of HSUS observers witnessed the hunt earlier this year and documented numerous violations of Canada’s sealing regulations.



Over 200 restaurants and companies such as Legal Sea Foods, Down East Seafood, Whole Foods Markets, Wild Oats Market, The Plitt Company, Palomino Foods and Monterey Fish Market are taking steps to reduce or end their Canadian seafood sales. Two thirds of Canadian seafood is exported to the United States, producing $2.8 billion annually for the Canadian economy and making the industry a viable target for a boycott. Country-of-origin labeling now required on seafood sold in American grocery stores lets consumers readily identify seafood from Canada.



“We applaud Chef Lee’s involvement and we hope other chefs and restaurants will follow her example and say no to Canadian seafood until Canada ends the slaughter of baby seals -- once and for all,” said Dr. John W. Grandy, senior vice president at The HSUS.



The Canadian seal hunt is undeniably cruel—baby seals are clubbed or shot to death primarily for their pelts—many are skinned while still alive and conscious. The U.S. has long banned imports of seal products, but the market for seal pelts in Europe provides an incentive for the sealers to take to the ice every spring to kill as many seals as they can. This year’s hunt, with over 300,000 seals slaughtered, was the largest killing of marine mammals in the world.



For more information on The HSUS seal campaign, please visit www.ProtectSeals.org.



The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization representing more than 9.4 million members and constituents. The non-profit organization is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals and equine protection, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, animals in research and farm animal welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy, and field work. The group is based in Washington and has numerous field representatives across the country. On the web at www.hsus.org.








The Humane Society of the United States
2100 L St., NW
Washington, DC 20037
www.hsus.org
Promoting the Protection of All Animals