Two Clover Leaf Seafoods offices got a special delivery today of banners containing hundreds of signatures calling for sustainable tuna and ocean protection. The deliverers consisted of Greenpeace activists, two sharks and a yellowfin tuna, all representing for the numerous species in the oceans that are threatened by the destructive and wasteful tuna fisheries that Clover Leaf sources its tuna from.
Since Clover Leaf has yet to commit to providing Canadians with ocean-friendly tuna, we wanted to remind the company's CEO that it isn't just Greenpeacers that want Clover Leaf to stop canning ocean destruction. The banner that was delivered to Clover Leaf's office in Richmond, British Columbia read just that - “Clover Leaf: Stop canning ocean destruction”, and contained signatures and messages written by dozens of Vancouver citizens. We passed the signed banner and a letter with our demands over to a pleasant yet cautious Clover Leaf representative and asked that he pass the message to the CEO, Chris Lischewski. Meanwhile, outside another Greenpeace activist left information about Clover Leaf and a ranking of Canada's canned tuna brands for commuters in the parking lot.
In Laval, Quebec, the signatures supported a message that read “Clover Leaf doit changer de thon.” Sharks, a yellowfin tuna and Greenpeacers handed it over to an unsuspecting employee who received it openly and said he too would pass on the message. Building employees also ended their day with some information about Clover Leaf and its destructive ways, left for them under their wipers.
Since the launch of the www.cloverleafcannedtuna.ca website and campaign targeting the company, hundreds of people have written the company's CEO urging Clover Leaf to change its ways. Clover Leaf continues to source from purse seiners that use Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) and longlines, two fishing methods that mean more than just tuna is caught to fill Clover Leaf cans. Sharks, turtles, seabirds, baby bigeye tuna, and other species are all often collateral damage in these fisheries. A genetic testing study found bigeye tuna in Clover leaf cans labelled as "light tuna" which usually contain skipjack. Bigeye tuna stocks are known to be in trouble.
As Canada's largest canned tuna brand, Clover leaf canned tuna is found in most supermarkets across the country. This means that stacks of unsustainable and vulnerable tuna is likely lining your local supermarket shelf. Many supermarket chains and tuna companies are working to clean up their tuna product lines, but when will Clover Leaf clean up its tuna?
Help us urge Clover leaf to take action by contacting the company by clicking here.
Greenpeace is calling on Clover Leaf to stop selling yellowfin tuna, switch to more selective and sustainable fishing methods like FAD-free and pole and line, support coastal communities and ensure equitable tuna, and support ocean protection by refusing to source tuna from proposed marine reserves.