The owner of a small business in downtown St. John’s is flabbergasted following a protest in front of her store late Saturday afternoon.

Jen Shears runs Natural Boutique, an Indigenous shop that specializes in renewable products from the seal industry.

Four protesters holding placards that read “Ban the Hunt” and “Fur is Dead” spent about an hour outside the Water Street store, standing directly in front of the entrance.

Shears says the loss of business during the pandemic was bad enough without having to deal with animal rights protesters driving away potential customers.

Meanwhile, the protests resulted in an uptick in sales, according to the owner.

Shears, who is Mi’Kmaq, says the seal hunt is among the most regulated in the world. She says Newfoundlanders and Labradorians always support their own, and the protests actually help to boost sales.

They’re just trying to keep people working in a locally-owned small business at a difficult time says Shears. While it’s difficult to witness what she calls the “short-sighted nature” of their protests, it usually results in greater public support for the business.