Pierre Gleizes / Greenpeace CARTING AWAY THE OCEANS 9
Pierre Gleizes / Greenpeace Greenpeace just released its ninth edition of the Carting Away the Oceans report (read more) which ranks supermarkets on their efforts to protect the oceans and seafood industry workers. Since we launched this report in 2008, we ve seen significant changes from some of the nation s largest supermarkets regarding their sustainable seafood practices. Unfortunately, there s more work to be done. The global seafood industry is on alert following major international scandals documenting slavery and human rights abuses in Southeast Asia. Tuna stocks are in trouble as a result of overfishing and destructive fishing practices. And despite historical evidence that we need to better manage the way we catch fish, vital marine habitats like the Bering Sea Canyons - the Grand Canyons of the Sea - remain at risk and are not protected from industrial fishing. Amid troubling times for our oceans, we re going directly to grocery stores to demand that they do better. On July 25th you can be a part of a nationwide day of action calling on Walmart, the nation s largest retailer, to clean up its act. By speaking with store managers, your efforts will make their way up to senior levels of leadership who will be presented a choice: work to offer more sustainable, socially responsible seafood, or continue to be connected to destructive fishing and human rights abuses. Don t live near a Walmart? That s ok! You can still participate by delivering a letter to your local grocery store. Go here to see how your supermarket ranks, if its not ranked in the top deliver a letter. TELL WALMART they can and should do better when it comes to protecting the oceans. Go to your nearest Walmart (or other grocery store if you don t have a Walmart nearby) and deliver a letter to the local store manager. 1. Find your nearest Walmart. 2. Print the letter below and sign your name! 3. Go to Walmart and ask to speak to the store manager bringing along concerned friends or family with you can make a greater impact. 4. Tell the store manager why you think Walmart can and should do better when it comes to protecting the oceans and the people that bring seafood to our plates. 5. Hand the manager the letter and thank them for their time. CARTING AWAY THE OCEANS 9 Alex Hofford / Greenpeace
Bente Stachowske / Greenpeace Dear Walmart Store Manager, I am appalled by Walmart s inability to increase the range of sustainable seafood options for your stores. I want to be able to know that any seafood buying decision I make in your store is a sustainable and socially responsible one, but currently I know that is not the case. Walmart sells nine species found on Greenpeace s Red list, and popular, high volume products like canned tuna. Great Value canned tuna is not ocean safe, and it is unclear to me whether Walmart can prove that human lives are not also being put in great danger for the tuna it sells. Walmart can no longer delay in taking action to ensure socially responsible and sustainable tuna. It is unethical to rake in profits at the expense of human lives and our oceans. As the world s largest retailer, Walmart has an opportunity and responsibility to transform the seafood industry and should take stronger steps to do so, immediately. This means, in addition to offering sustainable seafood, protecting our ocean ecosystems from destructive practices. I want healthy oceans now and in the future, and I don t want to shop at a supermarket that is part of the problem. I ask that you please: Publicly and internally commit to eliminate slavery, human rights abuses, and illegal fishing from your seafood supply chains. Commit to offering 100% sustainable and socially responsible Great Value canned tuna on store shelves by 2016, and develop a robust canned tuna policy to ensure all canned tuna sold in stores meets those same criteria. Urge the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to protect vulnerable coral and sponge habitat in the Bering Sea Canyons and Green Belt. Thank you, Bente Stachowske / Greenpeace
Bente Stachowske / Greenpeace Dear Store Manager, As a customer, I want to be able to know that any seafood buying decision I make in your store is a sustainable and socially responsible one. Species found on Greenpeace s Red list should not be sold in any store, such as Chilean seabass, orange roughy, hoki, sharks, yellowfin tuna, and swordfish. High volume products like canned tuna should only be caught in a sustainable manner and all seafood sold cannot be connected to human rights abuses. It is unethical for any supermarket to rake in profits at the expense of human lives and our oceans. I ask that your company please act to improve the seafood industry. This means, in addition to offering sustainable seafood, protecting our ocean ecosystems from destructive practices. I want healthy oceans now and in the future, and I don t want to shop at any supermarket that is part of the problem. I ask that you please: Publicly and internally commit to eliminate slavery, human rights abuses, and illegal fishing from your seafood supply chains. Commit to offering 100% sustainable and socially responsible private label canned tuna on store shelves as soon as possible, and develop a robust canned tuna policy to ensure all canned tuna sold in stores meets those same criteria. Urge the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to protect vulnerable coral and sponge habitat in the Bering Sea Canyons and Green Belt. Thank you,
Paul Hilton / Greenpeace CARTING AWAY THE OCEANS 9