Nicole Matthews, a spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, and, dressed as a chicken, Brendan McVay, of Providence, ride on a charter boat in Newport, where KFC officials were visiting yesterday. The Providence Journal / Frieda Squires

NEWPORT

The most eye-catching boat on the water yesterday wasn’t a megasized luxury yacht — it was the one puttering around the harbor with a guy perched on the bow wearing a chicken suit and waving a wing to passersby.

Animal-rights protesters gave a whole new meaning to “chicken of the sea” yesterday when they cruised around the harbor with a chicken mascot and a banner with an image of a scalded chicken to protest what they say is KFC’s use of cruelly treated poultry.

The protest organized by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is part of a boycott the group has waged against the fast-food chain since 2001. Yesterday’s demonstration targeted the Association of KFC Franchisees charter sail aboard a 12-meter race yacht.

Around noon, four PETA protesters boarded their own chartered yacht, the 48-foot Windee, with the guy in the chicken suit, 25-year-old Brendan McVay, of Providence, occasionally stumbling on the deck in his oversized, three-toed feet. They immediately set off in search of their prey, the KFC boat, not for a nautical game of chicken but to maintain pressure on the company and raise public awareness of the treatment of its chickens.

“Our protest will continue by land, or by sea, as long as they continue to slit their throats while they are conscious and scald them to death,” said PETA spokeswoman Nicole Matthews. “This is our longest running campaign against a fast-food restaurant.”

When the protesters motored by the suspected KFC charter boat, there was little to no reaction. KFC officials issued a statement when reached for comment later in the afternoon.

“KFC is committed to the well-being and humane treatment of chickens. We’re proud of our responsible, industry-leading animal welfare guidelines. We buy our quality chickens from the same trusted brands that consumers buy in local supermarkets,” the statement reads. “While we don’t own any poultry facilities, we require all of our suppliers to follow welfare guidelines developed by us with leading experts on our Animal Welfare Advisory Council.

“We don’t comment on PETA’s activities and publicity stunts, which speak for themselves.”

Matthews acknowledged that supermarkets also buy from suppliers with inhumane practices, but that shouldn’t condone the mistreatment of the approximately 1 billion chickens KFC serves up every year, she said. The United States franchises, like their counterparts in Canada, should demand that suppliers treat chickens more humanely and offer vegetarian alternatives on its menu, she said.

PETA maintains that KFC suppliers drug chickens in unreasonably cramped quarters to rapidly fatten them up, making the birds so top heavy and unhealthy that they suffer broken legs and heart attacks. The suppliers also slaughter the birds inhumanely, PETA asserts, by slitting their throats while they’re conscious. Some birds that aren’t properly killed get boiled alive during the next process — feather removal.

Matthews said that KFC suppliers could make improvements — including gassing chickens to kill them — that would add just two cents to the cost of a meal.

Matthews, who is based in Michigan, arranged for the charter and brought aboard three Rhode Island PETA supporters and activists to join her. Oftentimes, she and other PETA activists don bikinis to attract attention, especially in colder weather. But the chicken suit she brought with her also catches a lot of attention.

“It’s easier to travel with a yellow bikini, but people have a warm reception to mascot suits,” said Matthews, 26.

While motoring past several ferries, she held up the banner with the picture of the red-tinged scalded chicken and the message, “Boycott KFC Cruelty. KentuckyFriedCruelty.com.” Helping her with the banner were Honore Ford, 21, of Newport, and Rory VanGrol, 27, of Providence.

Most took notice of the protesters and many waved.

“I love chicken,” called out one person on a boat.

“We love chickens, too,” Matthews replied.

Under yesterday’s sunny skies and warm weather, McVay was sweating inside the chicken suit. But, when asked how he was doing, he said he was fine.

“It’s because I’m not fried, that I feel all right,” he quipped.

rsalit@projo.com