On Wednesday morning, hundreds of commuters, surfers, and local residents were greeted by the sight of the Greenpeace thermal airship soaring above the La Jolla beach, only a few miles from Chicken of the Sea’s San Diego headquarters. The airship displayed banners that highlighted the destructive practices of Chicken of the Sea and chastised the company for the needless deaths of sharks, billfish, turtles, and other animals killed on the company’s longlines and in its purse seine nets.
On Thursday, Greenpeace personnel hand-delivered a petition to the company. Signed by over fifty-six thousand concerned consumers across the country, the seven-hundred page document spelled out the growing demand for Chicken of the Sea to abandon its wasteful ways and to adopt more sustainable and responsible practices.
The degree of support for the campaign for Chicken of the Sea to reform has been immense, and it continues to grow by leaps and bounds. From the Atlantic to the Pacific and from all fifty states, thousands of people have voiced their concerns in the form of letters, petitions, phone calls, social media, and more. There is no doubt that the U.S. consumer public is irate over the damage done by Chicken of the Sea and its reliance on destructive and indiscriminate gear like conventional longlines and fish aggregating devices.
These activities are still just the beginning on Greenpeace’s efforts. The damage done by this Chicken of the Sea is massive, and we must see real change from the tuna industry in the here-and-now if we are to resuscitate our ailing oceans and to rebuild our tuna populations.
Greenpeace will continue to communicate the reality of the situation to the American public until Chicken of the Sea publicly pledges to reform its procurement policies and to become a true leader within the industry.
Tuna is an important part of the American diet it’s an affordable and convenient source of protein but right now, the damage being done to our planet by companies like Chicken of the Sea is simply too great to accept. The American consumer deserves a sustainable tuna option, and if tuna companies in markets like the UK are willing and able to transition to a better system, our domestic producers must stop duping the American public and do the same. Learn more at tunasecrets.com
