Twelve Vancouver Restaurants Deserve Medals

February 12, 2010

	Together, we can end the hunt. © Chad Sisneros/HSI

For those who want to enjoy the thrill of the Olympics but don’t wish to put their commitment to the ProtectSeals campaign on hold, there’s great news. Twelve Vancouver restaurants have pledged not to purchase some or all of their seafood from Canada’s east coast, where hundreds of thousands of seal pups are slaughtered annually.

In the past, this initiative has focused on restaurants in the United States, because it is the largest importer of Canadian seafood. But, because of the Olympics and the huge influx into Canada of Europeans who oppose the seal hunt, it was important to gain support among the restaurants and chefs in Vancouver.

Canada’s national non-profit animal protection organization, Animal Alliance of Canada, had the experience and skills to bring the campaign to Vancouver. In just a few days, they brought in pledges from an impressive and diverse group of eating establishments from around the city. 

While some of these restaurants had decided before signing the AAC pledge form not to purchase east coast seafood, they have now formally promised to avoid it until east coast fishermen stop killing seal pups for their fur.

These restaurants and chefs all deserve medals for taking a stand against the hunt. We recognize that it’s a very courageous thing for them to do. We encourage people to visit these restaurants during the Olympics to thank them for their support, and reward their show of compassion by sitting down to enjoy a great meal:

• Café Il Nido
• Favorito Pasta Trattoria
• India Gate Restaurant
• Junsei River Restaurant
• Khai Thai Cuisine
• La Bretagne Creperie
• La Gavroche
• Salam Bombay
• Samba Restaurant
• Sapodilla Restaurant
• Wimaan Thai
• Yume Japanese Restaurant