Volunteer Action Steps
1. Make a list of the following establishments in your area to determine which businesses you are going to contact:
- Restaurants
- Supermarkets
- Seafood retailers
- Delicatessens and cafés
- Other establishments that might sell seafood
2. Contact or visit them to see if they sell Canadian Seafood.
Note: If you visit - be sure to check for COOL Labeling (Country of Origin Labeling) to see what country the seafood is being imported from.
3. Contact the Campaign Coordinator at sealofapproval@seashepherd.org to:
a) Sign-up as a Seal of Approval volunteer.
b) Request a "Seal of Approval" Kit"* for each establishment you will formally request to join the boycott.
4. Meet with the manager or owner and present them with the "Seal of Approval" Kit:
a) Present the information on the seal slaughter. (Information is printed in the Case for Support document and brochure)
b) Talk to them about the effectiveness of the boycott and why we need
their support. (Information is printed in the Case for Support document).
c) Ask that they sign the Pledge Letter from Captain Watson.
d) Fill out certificate and present it to the establishment along with the Seal of Approval sticker/decal. (Preferably use a nice, blue felt-tip pen and write as neatly as possible).
e) Thank them for their support and showing their concern for seals and
tell them we will send them a campaign update. You can reiterate that Sea Shepherd will list them on our website.
f) Record their contact information for tracking and for the Sea Shepherd
website.
5. Reporting after meeting:
Return signed Pledge Letter and Volunteer Verification Sheet to Sea Shepherd by mail using the provided Self-addressed stamped envelopes.
Sea Shepherd or the SOACC will follow-up with the establishment.
*A Seal of Approval Kit Contains:
Please contact sealofapproval@seashepherd.org for any questions, concerns, or comments.
2005 Seal of Approval Contest Winner
From May through October 15th 2005, over 30 volunteers requested Seal of Approval Kits to sign local establishments onto the Boycott of Canadian Seafood. Sea Shepherd offered a prize to the volunteer who turned in the most signed pledges. The prize: a trip to Prince Edward Island, Canada, in 2006 to take a helicopter trip to the ice floes of the Gulf St. Lawrence to be photographed with the baby seals.
Our congratulations go to Loraine J. Izzo Mignardi, Esq., of Westchester County, New York, as the winner of the contest. Loraine has been a superstar for the seals – volunteering her time for the Seal of Approval Campaign; she has been relentless in bringing over two dozen establishments on board for the Canadian Seafood Boycott. She will be joining Sea Shepherd in the spring to visit the seals. See Loraine's list of helpful tips below on how to get restaurants to pledge to honor the boycott.
Sea Shepherd welcomes your continued direct action in helping to make the Boycott of Canadian Seafood a success in bringing the annual seal slaughter to a permanent end. Sea Shepherd will supply Seal of Approval Kits to any interested volunteer at no cost and will continue to list businesses that join on our website. This grassroots effort to enlist establishments in your local community will help to educate the public and bring attention to the plight of the seals. The Canadian government will learn that other countries reject their unwise decision to continue the cruel seal slaughter. Each establishment in a non-Canadian country can use their economic influence to demonstrate their opposition to this horrific annual killing. The more widespread community involvement there is, the more successful the boycott of Canadian seafood will be and the more pressure we can bring to bear on the Canadian government to bring this slaughter to a permanent end.
If you are interested in participating in the contest, please contact the SOA Campaign Coordinator at sealofapproval@seashepherd.org.
Loraine agreed to share with us her hints and tips in approaching establishments and asking them to join the Canadian Seafood Boycott:
1. Give as much information as possible about the boycott to the owner. For example: "I'm not sure if you're aware that the Canadian Government has allowed the slaughter of more than 1 million baby seals in the past three years alone – up to 42% of the baby seals are skinned alive. The Canadians import 3.3 billion dollars worth of seafood into this country, if enough restaurants sign on, it will end the seal slaughter. Did you know that Legal Seafood, Whole Foods, and Tavern on the Green have signed on?” I also show the owner signed pledges from local restaurants.
2. Be persistent. Sometimes I had to go to the restaurant several times before obtaining a pledge (other times, the owner signed the pledge immediately).
3. Try to approach the owner during off hours. I go back if the owner isn’t there since ultimately, that is the person who will be signing the pledge - usually not the manager unless they are authorized to do so.
4. I try to go to the restaurant during lunch or after work when I am dressed professionally.
5. I found that using a pledge you obtained in one town to get others in that same town works well. For instance: "Joe's restaurant and Steve’s restaurant down the street signed it, your pledge will make a difference too."
6. I asked the restaurants that I patronize myself to sign on. Conversely, if you are having a difficult time getting a pledge, you may want to eat at that restaurant and then compliment the owner about his food (even if it wasn’t good!).
7. Ask friends and relatives if they have a favorite restaurant that might sign on and go there – my husband Tony helped me a lot in this respect – he loves to eat out!
If you are interested in participating in the contest, please contact the SOA Campaign Coordinator at sealofapproval@seashepherd.org.
