I am writing to commend you on what I think is THE best vegan site out there!  I love the layout of your site, especially how you ask the question "why vegan?".  I have been vegan for 36 years, since I was 12 years old........but I actually began to "think" about what I was eating at 10.  At 12, I started to "resist" what I was taught, and conditioned to believe, that meat was necessary to sustain life.  I am 48 years old and back then I did not have the resources available today to find information and support, such as your website provides.  I began my journey to veganism with only the knowledge in my heart that I could not eat something that once lived and breathed, loved and suffered, just as myself.

It has been a long and tough journey, not only to educate myself on how to eat, but moreso to be accepted by my family and friends as a "thinking, compassionate" person, and not someone who has lost their mind!

My journey has brought me to a place where I feel total well being, mentally and physically.  I am lean and strong and never get sick (5'6", 115 lbs).  I have had 7 healthy children (all near or over 10 lbs!) which for me, says something positive about a vegan diet too. 

I am now about 75% raw, and eat only fresh food (nothing processed or from a can) I do not eat anything that resembles/imitates meat, so no soy meat products, soy cheese, etc.  I eat mainly beans, nuts, seeds, vegetables, grains, fruits. 

Veganism for me is so much more than what I eat though, it is a philosophy, a lifestyle, a way of viewing the world around me, a spiritual thing, a love of life, a feeling of peace and contentment in my heart knowing that I do not participate in the murder of animals to sustain me.

I will always "be" so grateful that I was blessed with the mind to "think", and the spirit to "resist" and and the heart to "be" me. a vegan.

Keep up the great work on Vegan Underground!!  You have done a wonderful job.

Susan

 

 

 

To Whom It May Concern at the Vancouver Aquarium:
 
I am writing to express my concern, which is shared by many others I know and have discussed this with, about the “Hugs and Fishes Valentine Seafari”, and, for that matter, the “Oceans of Love Valentine Dinner”.

While I think events aimed at raising awareness and exposing people who might not otherwise be exposed to the exploits of the Vancouver Aquarium may be a good thing when done in the name of conservation, I cannot help but be put off by your menu choices.  They seem misguided and cast the credibility of the aquarium’s conservation programs in a dubious light.

Teaching people about sea life by feeding it to them, and even worse, teaching them how to prepare sushi with it, does not teach them about conservation.  It only serves to widen the gap between humans and the oceans and does not promote a respect for sea life in general.  An emphasis on fish as food will only blur our connection to the living ocean.  If your idea was to have the human guests eat something akin to what the marine mammals dine on, that is misguided too.  Humans are not marine mammals.

With all the recent media coverage of declining fish stocks, and the widely accepted and proven belief that the oceans are in serious trouble, the aquarium could have shown itself as a leader in conservation, rather than another entertainment venue cashing in on a “Hallmark” holiday solely in the name of money.  Why discredit the aquarium's worthwhile endeavors with events such as these?

My concern is that the aquarium is delivering the wrong message under the guise of conservation, and this is a more damaging blow than almost anything else in the battle to educate a food-centred, unsypathetic public.  I truly believe that the people who attend the event will see the marine mammals as trivial entertainment – a novelty – that will quickly be forgotten.  You are reducing the animals to the level of casual conversation fodder.  People need something to brag about the day after Valentine’s day.

A little tact and imagination could transform events like the “Hugs and Fishes [to eat] Valentine Seafari from exploitation to something of real value.  Otherwise, the marine mammals in captivity are leading unnatural, deprived lives for nothing.  What will their sacrifice be for, our selfish entertainment?  I urge the Vancouver Aquarium to think more carefully about what its mandate really is, and how best to serve it.

Respectfully,

Trevor
North Vancouver, BC

 

cc Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
cc People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

 

 

 

Hi Trevor,

Thank you for expressing your concerns in regards to our Valentines day programs. I certainly appreciate hearing from someone who is passionate enough about the conservation of the oceans to take the time to write in.

Your e-mail raised some concerns with me in particular because I run a program called Ocean Wise. The point of the program is not only to educate consumers about sustainable seafood (and unsustainable options), but also to make it easier for people to make sustainable seafood choices. I have found that, in general, people like to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem if given the proper information and it is sufficiently easy. The goal of Ocean Wise is to change fishing practices by working from the consumer down. The hope is that if consumers refuse to purchase something that is unsustainable the value will drop and fishers will stop catching/harvesting them. And, on the flip side, if people begin to demand sustainable products, the value will rise, making it more attractive for fishers to do things in a sustainable manner. We are already beginning to see the impacts of this program.

Given the current state of global fisheries - Worm et al. (Science, 2006) indicated that we could see the collapse of all global fisheries (from mussels to swordfish) within our lifetime (~48 years) if we continue at the current rate of exploitation - it is crucial that we change the way people view seafood. At the Aquarium, we are working hard to do just this. It is unreasonable to think that we can get everyone to stop eating all seafood, so instead we are trying to educate people about sustainable options. Working very closely with some of the top local chefs is helping us change peoples traditional tastes with respect to seafood. This is a critically important step to getting consumers to make sustainable choices. These chefs are able to create dishes from sustainable options that people may not have had before and get them to realize that there are many sustainable options that taste just as good, if not better, than some traditional bad ones. We have seen this with the increase in demand for BC trap caught sablefish or black cod (Anopoploma fimbria) - a great sustainable option.

All of our food services here at the Vancouer Aquarium follow the Ocean Wise program. For the sleep-over, the sushi making will be predominantly vegetarian - avacado and cucumber - but there will also be some pollock/imitation crabmeat (Theragra chalcogramma) which is also a sustainable option and MSC certified. For the Valentines dinner the seafood options include:

spiny lobster (Panulirus spp.) trap caught from the US
dungeness crab (Cancer magister) trap caught from BC
wild salmon (Oncorhynchus sp.) - either from MSC certified Alaskan or troll caught BC
spot prawns (Pandalus platyceros) trap caught from BC

All of these options are recommended sustainable options. If you would like to find more information about these options check out Seafood Watch (www.seafoodwatch.org).

I hope that I have been able to address some of your concerns in regards to these programs and I thank you again for taking the time to write and bring these concerns to my attention. If you do have any more concerns or questions, please feel free to contact me directly.

Sincerely,

Mike
Ocean Wise Coordinator
Vancouver Aquarium

 

Hi Jacquie,
 
I am writing to you to share a concern I have for the lack of discretion I feel News 1130 showed today when it reported a quick story about the diet of the Inuit.  The story was inoffensive, albeit somewhat debatable, until the reporter (you?) mentioned that whale skin contains high concentrations of selenium and could prevent prostate cancer.  I am not going to argue whether the study this is from has any merit.  What disturbs me is that News 1130 is, in effect, promoting the consumption of whale products.  Whale hunting, even in limited amounts by aboriginal Canadians is not sustainable.  If the public at large were to start showing interest in whale products, a commercial whaling industry could conceivably gain wide acceptance.  Such an industry would be disastrous for already stressed populations of whales and is clearly not a sustainable resource. 
 
I don't believe this is a far-fetched scenario.  Many whaling nations, such as Iceland, Norway and Japan, are hunting whales illegally, in contravention of the International Moratorium on Whaling, and selling whale products around the world.  These nations are bold enough to send whaling fleets into established whale sanctuaries.  This winter, Japanese fleets plan to kill 1000 whales in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary, a practice which is, by all accounts, poaching. 
 
If you are thinking this is far away from Canada and will not have an impact here, you are not fully informed.  The International Whaling Commission maintains its headquarters on Vancouver Island, and is funded by Norwegian and Japanese interests.  A key partner of the IWC are native whalers, who have an aboriginal right to hunt a limited number of whales.  If there is significant incentive, such as a renewed market for whale products in North America, they could seek to exploit their rights for commercial gain.  And who are we to tell them not to?  The current Canadian government, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans have despicable records when it comes to the environment and managing marine resources.  The collapse of the cod fisheries, and the ongoing seal hunt are just two examples.   It is not inconcievable that they would cave to pressures from native groups and corporations, and allow commercial whaling.
 
Currently, cancer is a hot topic, both in politics and the media.  People are very receptive to possible quick fixes and easy preventative measures.  The public is actively seeking a "magic cancer pill" so they can continue to live the excessive lifestyle that is the real cause of the majority of cancers.  A real, and far less damaging, prevention for prostate cancer is to reduce or eliminate dairy and meat consumption and increase the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.  I know it doesn't make a good story.  There's no angle in veggies, but it's the truth.  It's ethical to report the truth. 
 
I understand that you only report the news and don't make it up, however, I believe you could excercise some discretion about what is responsible news and what is worthy of reporting.  I'm sure this story has been reported by a number of media outlets today, and I'm sure I'll be writing a few more letters about it.
 
I can only urge you to learn more about this topic so that in the future, you'll have a more complete understanding of what you're reporting.  Times like these are a chance to lead.  Following the latest medical fads and junk science reports is anything but leading.  I am a loyal News 1130 listener and will remain so.  Thank you for taking the time to read this. 
 
Sincerely,
 
Trev, veganunderground.com

 

 

December 14, 2006

 

December 14, 2006

 

Thanks for your input. 
 
Jacquie Donaldson
Program/News Director
News1130
www.news1130.com

 

 

reply from sea shepherd: 

 

December 29, 2006

 

Hi Trev-

Thanks for emailing us about that. And thanks even more for emailing the radio station. That’s the last thing this world needs is people thinking whale skin is the end-all-be-all to prevent prostate cancer. And let’s face it, there are plenty of other sources of selenium that wouldn’t require killing an animal for.

For the oceans,

Heather
Administrative Assistant

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
PO Box 2616
Friday Harbor, WA  98250
www.seashepherd.org
ph: 360-370-5650
fax: 360-370-5651

 

Wishing you Life, Love and Harmony
Steve

 

 

 August 17, 2006

 

To Whom It May Concern at the BCSPCA,
 
As someone who has adopted dogs from the SPCA in the past (most recently from the Los Angeles SPCA), supported the SPCA and believed in the SPCA, I am compelled to voice my disgust at the Prince Rupert's Crab Feast Fund Raiser.
 
I realize the importance of supporting a local industry in a small, remote town, however, for an organization supposedly dedicated to animal rights to promote, and actively engage in the killing of one animal to benefit another is a gross misconduct.
 
I cannot believe that the BCSPCA advocates boiling animals alive.
 
I also find the promotional poster on the website extremely objectionable.  I don't think the crabs will be smiling like the one pictured as they're dropped into boiling water.
 
There is no justification for an event like this, and it will undoubtedly only hurt your fund-raising efforts in the long term.  I think your organization either needs to reassess its priorities and policies, or change its name to a more accurate representation of its mandate.  By this event, the BCSPCA is not preventing any cruelty to animals.
 
Never again will I support the BCSPCA.  There are other organizations doing good work for animal rights that could use my help. 
 
Trev, veganunderground.com

 

 

 

 

Dear Trev,

 

Thank you for contacting the BC SPCA Administration Centre with your concerns regarding this event.  We have asked the volunteers planning this event to please cancel, so it will not be going ahead.  Please let me know if I may be of any further assistance.