The Humane Society of the United States is proud to announce additional support for ending the Canadian seal hunt from over 50 prominent restaurants in the Chicago area that are pledging not to sell Canadian seafood.
"It is wonderful to have the support of so many well-known and prominent chefs and restaurants in the great city of Chicago," said Pat Ragan, director of The HSUS ProtectSeals Campaign. "They share our concern about the senseless slaughter of baby seals and are proud to use their buying power to send a message to Canada that this hunt must end now." Over 215,000 baby seals were clubbed and shot to death for their fur in eastern Canada this past spring.
The HSUS launched the seafood boycott in March 2005 and asks consumers and restaurateurs to avoid Canadian seafood as a way of ending the annual seal hunt. Seal hunting is an off-season activity conducted by commercial fishermen from Canada's East Coast. By boycotting Canadian seafood, The HSUS hopes to convince Canada's fishing industry to stop participating and supporting the commercial seal hunt. The boycott will stop when the seal hunt is stopped. These restaurants and chefs join the list of over 2,600 restaurants and other seafood businesses in the U.S. who also pledged support for the boycott.
Well known restaurants and chefs in the Chicago vicinity joining the boycott include Everest, Boka, Red Light, Les Nomades and Grotto on State."I am proud to have our business associated with this important campaign," said Giuseppe Tentori chef of Boka Restaurant in Chicago. "It is critical that we send a message to the Canadian government and fishing industry that this slaughter must end as I am a big lover of animals myself,” said Chef Jackie Shen of Red Light.“It is simply wrong in this day and age to be clubbing innocent baby seals for their fur,” said Chef Abraham Aguirre of Grotto on State. “I have bought a lot of Canadian seafood, including crab legs, shrimp, and lobster in the past, but I will no longer buy it until Canada stops this unnecessary and cruel baby seal hunt.”
To join the boycott, restaurants pledge to boycott Canadian snow crab, all seafood from Eastern Canada or all seafood from all of Canada until the hunt ends for good.
More than two-thirds of Canadian seafood is exported to the United States, producing $2.8 billion annually for the Canadian economy and making it far more meaningful to Canada's fishing industry than the commercial seal hunt.
A list of all companies supporting the Protect Seals boycott is available at humanesociety.org/RestaurantsForSeals.
For more information on the campaign to save Canadian seals and to sign the boycott pledge, visit humanesociety.org/ProtectSeals.
List of Restaurants:
312 Chicago (Chef: Dean Zanella)—Chicago
Atwood Cafe (Chef: Heather Terhune)—Chicago
Avenue M (Chef: Daniel Kelly)—Chicago
Bella Lounge (Chef: Curtis Meghee)—Chicago
Boka (Chef: Giuseppe Tentori)—Chicago
Bravo Tapas and Lounge (Chef: Daniel Wright)—Chicago
Cité (Chef: Oscar Ornelas)—Chicago
Crofton on Wells (Chef: Suzy Crofton)—Chicago
Cy's Crab House (Chef: Masoud Rashedi)—Chicago
Cy's Crab House (Chef: Masoud Rashedi)—Buffalo Grove
Cy's Steak & Chophouse (Chef: Masoud Rashedi)—Chicago
David Burke's Primehouse (Chef: Jason Miller)—Chicago
Encore Liquid Lounge—Chicago
Everest (Chef: J. Joho)—Chicago
Grotto On State (Chef: Abraham Aguirre)—Chicago
Half Shell Restaurant—Chicago
Il Mulino (Chef: Michele Mazza)—Chicago (18 locations)
King Crab (Chef: Masoud Rashedi)—Chicago
Landmark Grill & Lounge (Chef: Benjamin Browning)—Chicago
Le Lan (Chef: Bill Kim)—Chicago
Les Nomades—Chicago
Marché (Chef: Paul Wildermuth)—Chicago
Merló Ristorante & Enoteca Wine Bar (Chef: Luisa Silvia Marani)—Chicago
Merlo on Maple (Chef: Luisa Silvia Marani)—Chicago
Moto Restaurant(Chef: Homaro Cantu)—Chicago
NAHA (Chef: Carrie Nahabedian)—Chicago
Oceanique (Chef: Mike Grosz)—Evanston
Opera (Chef: Paul Wildermuth)—Chicago
Pane Caldo (Chef: Maurice Bonhomme)—Chicago
Parker's Ocean Grill (Chef: Patrick McLauglin)—Downers Grove
Phil Stefani's 437 Rush (Chef: Federico Comacchio)—Chicago
Quartino Ristorante Pizzeria & Wine Bar (Chef: John Coletta)—Chicago
Raw Bar & Grill (Chef: Tony Motamen)—Chicago
Red Light (Chef: Jackie Shen)—Chicago
Ristorante Quartino and Wine Bar (Chef: John Coletta)—Chicago
Riva Navy Pier (Chef: Luigi Garcia)—Chicago
Riva Restaurant (Chef: Charles Weber)—Naperville
Ron's Place (Chef: Joseph Kanzuer)—Chicago
Rosewood Restaurant (Chef: Tino Almarez)—Rosemont
Salpicon (Chef: Priscila Satkoff)—Chicago
Sangria Restaurant and Tapas Bar (Chef: Brad Newman)—Chicago
South Water Kitchen—Chicago
Tavern on Rush (Chef: John Gatsos)—Chicago
Ted's Montana Grill—Bolingbrook
Ted's Montana Grill—Glenview
Ted's Montana Grill—Naperville
Ted's Montana Grill—Schaumberg
The Whitehall Hotel—Chicago
Tuscany on Clark (Chef: Alex Stanciu)—Chicago
Tuscany-Oak Brook (Chef: Efrain Benitez)—Oak Brook
Tuscany Wheeling (Chef: Bolla Loza)—Wheeling
Tuscany on Taylor (Chef: Victor Tadilla)—Chicago
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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization – backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- On the web at humanesociety.org.
