Greenpeace Confronts Wal-Mart in Nelson over Failure to Protect Seafood
By Contributor
29 May 2009 (Nelson) — Greenpeace activists confronted management at the Wal-Mart on Lakeside Drive today as part of a campaign to stop Canada’s supermarkets from selling Redlist seafood, species that are the most threatened by over-harvesting. Activists canvassed the area outside the store with a large banner reading “Don’t Buy, Don’t Sell Redlist Fish,” handed out information leaflets to customers and set up a 10-foot tuna skeleton replica. Another banner was raised to target the store directly, reading “Wal-Mart: Save Seafood. Do Better.”
“Greenpeace is at Wal-Mart today to let consumers know that Canada’s supermarkets are major accomplices in ocean destruction,” said Sarah King, a Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner. “We are asking customers to help us convince Wal-Mart to stop selling Redlist fish and start selling sustainable seafood.”
The Redlist was developed by Greenpeace and includes 15 species that are unsustainably fished and farmed. The action follows the release of a new Greenpeace report titled Out of Stock, Out of Excuses: Ranking retailers on seafood sustainability. The report ranks Canada’s major grocery chains on their sustainability efforts under seven criteria, including the quality of their seafood policies and the number of Redlist species sold.
The Wal-Mart chain received a failing grade in part because it hasn’t committed to removing Redlist species from sale. Greenpeace delivered a copy of the ranking report to the store’s manager.
“While Wal-Mart has committed to developing a sustainable seafood policy starting this year, the promise hasn’t translated into action,” said King. “We want Wal-Mart customers to know that the company is selling seafood out of stock.”
Today, day four of the Greenpeace confrontation campaign against major supermarket chains, also included activities in Kingston, Ont. and Rimouski, Que. During the campaign, activists will challenge store management at grocery outlets in 19 cities in five provinces. So far, at least seven Greenpeace activists have been arrested. Successful activities have also been conducted in Victoria and Kelowna, B.C.; North Bay and Peterborough, Ont.; and Trois- Rivières and Victoriaville in Quebec.
Editor’s Note:
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.
–contributed
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