Maryland residents love their state food -- which, in case you didn't know, is crabs.
It's difficult to go to Baltimore's Inner Harbor and not see the thriving seafood market. In fact, some residents consider it part of the state's identity -- and a significant source of both tourism and exports.
Perhaps for this reason, the animal rights organization PETA chose to target the state's seafood industry where it would hit most -- with billboards around Baltimore's Inner Harbor.
PETA put up several billboards last week around Baltimore asking residents to stop eating crabs. The billboards read, "I'm ME, not MEAT," next to a picture of a crab. "See the individual. Go vegan." The PETA logo was displayed in the corner.
While many of the Norfolk, Virginia-based animal rights organization's campaigns are unpopular, Maryland residents took this one from PETA particularly personally. They were not thrilled at the outside organization putting up billboards in their city, criticizing a staple of the state that many residents hold dear.
The billboards, which PETA says were selectively chosen to be displayed around a cluster of seafood restaurants in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, were controversial among Marylanders (to say the least).
“It’s part of the city’s history, you know what I mean?” Maryland resident Gerard Brown told CBS Baltimore. “Without seafood, there is no Baltimore.”
One business owner, who owns the Silver Moon II, had a billboard displayed directly above his restaurant. He said the billboards were causing him to experience a barrage of phone calls.
"My customers, they call me, and they text me," Nick Lentis, owner of the Silver Moon II, said. "It's not nice."
He said the billboards are also losing him business. Lentis said he's already called PETA asking them to change the billboards' location so they're not directly above his restaurant.
PETA billboards were displayed around seafood restaurants in Maryland's Baltimore Inner Harbor criticizing the state food and urging residents to go vegan. (Courtesy of Dana Hedgpeth/Washington Post)
PETA, however, is standing by its point.
The organization, whose acronym stands for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said the billboards are part of a broader campaign strategy they're undertaking to advocate for veganism in iconic locations where meat-eating is a staple. The organization also recently put up similar billboards around seafood restaurants in Maine.
Tracy Reiman, executive vice president of the animal rights organization, said in a statement that these billboards were placed in a hub of the seafood industry “as part of a nationwide campaign to encourage diners to leave crabs and other sea animals off dinner plates and in their aquatic homes.”
“Just like humans, crabs feel pain and fear, have unique personalities, and value their own lives,” Reiman continued. “PETA’s billboard aims to give Charm City residents some food for thought about sparing sensitive marine animals the agony of being boiled alive or crushed to death in fishing nets simply by going vegan.”
One resident smiled and said the billboards won't affect his choices.
"I'll stick with crabs," he told reporters.
"I love crabs. This is Baltimore."
What do you think about the billboards -- or about eating crabs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
