Humane Society plans protests during Darden shareholder event Red Lobster

Humane Society plans protests during Darden shareholder event
Bob Mervine
Staff Writer

Representatives of the Humane Society of the United States say they don't like the Canadian government's policy regarding the management of wild seal herds in Newfoundland.

Last spring, the Canadian government allowed about 320,000 young seals to be killed on March 29 to "ensure the health" of its booming seal population. The killing, an annual event in Newfoundland, prompted the 8 million-member Humane Society of the United States, a Washington, D.C.-based group dedicated to animal protection, to call for the boycott of all Canadian seafood by U.S. companies.

The Humane Society's latest initiative centers on Darden Restaurants Inc.'s Sept. 21 shareholders meeting. It is designed to focus attention on the fact that Darden refuses to boycott Canadian seafood, even though the restaurant company says it isn't involved in the hunt, doesn't sell seal meat or products and has no plans to ever sell seal products.

Full story here: http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2005/09/19/daily5.html

They're not protesting because Darden buys millions of UGLY fish and crustaceans (which are killed by fisherman).

They're protesting because Darden buys these millions of fish and crustaceans from fishermen in Canada where the government allows people to kill a few thousand CUTE baby seals.

Mind you, it's not the fishermen who are killing the seals. The fishermen kill millions of ugly animals...but the Humane Society doesn't have a problem with that. They just have a problem with the GOVERNMENT of the fishermen because it allows completely different people to kill a few thousand CUTE baby seals.

...and from this "ethical" perch, they want to penalize both the fishermen and a company that buys their fish.

That's both hypocritical AND stupid.

Over 1 million harp seals killed in 3 years time for skins, not for food. That is a lot more than your few thousand figure. Over a dozen animal rights groups support the boycott btw.

Martin Sheen's PSA is here: http://www.seashepherd.org/seals/seals.html

or http://www.seashepherd.org/seals/seals_video.html

My point is that most of these groups only get upset when cute things are killed. If they're going to pretend to take an ethical stand, they should at least be consistent.

That aside, they're harming Canadian fishermen who have nothing to do with seal killing.

It's rather like those protesters who threw red paint at old ladies in fur coats rather than throw red paint at Hells Angels wearing leather. It would be like boycotting cell phones because they use chips from Texas Instruments which happens to be from the same state at Shrub Bush.

There's a reason why the World Wildlife Fund has a panda on its logo instead of a California Condor.

Leave the fishers alone. You are injuring hardworking people who put food on the table, not the people responsible for the slaughter you object to.

Perhaps it would be wise to do some research on the subject before posting a reply. They are boycotting Canadian seafood because the Canadian fishermen ARE the ones killing the seals, in their off season. If the idea of killing an animal of any kind merely for it's skin doesn't turn your stomach, the way in which the seals are killed, and the fact that many are skinned while still alive ought to. Killing an animal in a manner that causes the least pain for food and also using it's skin and other parts, in my opinion, is acceptable. Killing them merely for fashion is not. The "leathers" bikers wear are first and foremost to protect them when they "crash and burn".
You don't have to join the boycott if you don't agree with it, but at least know what you're talking about before posting.

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.