Activists are canvassing inside the store with a banner reading
"Save Seafood, Do Better," based on the Wal-Mart slogan "Save
Money, Live Better." Other banners showed the consequences of
destructive fishing. Activists are also handing out information to
customers and pointing out seafood products of concern sold in
Wal-Mart.
"We want Wal-Mart customers to know that much of the seafood
they buy from Wal-Mart comes from farming and fishing methods that
are having devastating impacts on ocean life," said Sarah King,
Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner. "Supermarket chains should not sell
seafood products, such as farmed salmon and yellowfin tuna, until
they are sustainable. We're asking customers to help us convince
Wal-Mart to ensure both its customers and our oceans have fish for
the future."
One species on Greenpeace's Redlist, farmed salmon, is an
ongoing concern for the Conservation Council of New Brunswick
(CCNB). CCNB has a long-standing campaign to encourage the salmon
farming industry in the Bay of Fundy to clean up its practices and
become more sustainable. CCNB says the industry has not improved
and continues to threaten sensitive marine ecosystems in the
region.
"The current aquaculture industry practice of raising salmon in
open net cages in the Bay of Fundy results in the direct
large-scale release of fish waste, uneaten fish feed and additives
to Fundy waters. As well, open cage farming in the Bay has led to
large-scale escapements of aquaculture fish when nets are torn by
storms, predators and accidents. These released fish can spread
disease to endangered wild salmon stocks and compete with the few
remaining in our rivers. The Conservation Council of New Brunswick
has a long-standing campaign to require salmon to be raised in
closed systems onshore, which would eliminate escapements and the
direct discharge of contaminants to the bay, instead of open net
pens in Fundy waters," said Fundy Baykeeper, David Thompson.
Wal-Mart and all major buyers and sellers of seafood can help
transform the salmon farming industry by using their buying power
to push the industry to become more sustainable. While Wal-Mart and
some other chains have begun taking steps to source more
sustainable seafood options, farmed salmon remains a species that
no one has addressed or removed from sale, despite growing concerns
from the scientific community and environmental groups.
The Wal-Mart activity follows a screening in Fredericton on
Oceans Day, June 8, 2009, of "The End of the Line," a documentary
about the impacts overfishing on oceans.
CCNB and Greenpeace hosted the screening as part of their work
to raise awareness about threats to the marine environment and to
demand better protection for oceans through the creation of marine
reserves, through stronger regulation and better management of the
fishing and aquaculture industry.
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Editor's Note:
Wal-Mart received a
failing grade in Greenpeace's latest seafood report, Out of Stock,
Out of Excuses: Ranking retailers on seafood sustainability. The
report ranks Canada's major grocery chains on their seafood
policies and practices.
The activity in
Fredericton is part of a three-week confrontation campaign by
Greenpeace at supermarkets in 19 cities in five provinces. More
information about Greenpeace's sustainable seafood campaign, the
2009 Retailer Ranking and Out of Stock, Out of Excuses is at www.greenpeace.ca/out-of-stock
For more information
about CCNB's campaign on aquaculture and its work through the Fundy
Bay Keeper, visit
http://conservationcouncil.ca/Fundy-Bay-Keeper/Sustainable-Aquaculture.aspx
The 15 Redlist species are: Arctic surf clams, Atlantic cod,
Atlantic haddock, Atlantic halibut, Atlantic salmon, Atlantic sea
scallops, Chilean seabass, Greenland halibut, New Zealand hoki,
orange roughy, sharks, skates and rays, swordfish, tropical shrimp
and prawns, and tuna.
For more information, please
contact:
Sarah King, Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner, (778) 227-6458 (on location in Fredericton)
David Thompson, Fundy Baykeeper, (506) 635-1297 / (506) 694-8780
Jessica Wilson, Greenpeace media and communications officer, (778) 228-5404