Greenpeace is calling on retailers to face up to their responsibilities, as overfishing, contamination and climate change threaten the world’s oceans. More than 75 per cent of the world’s fish stocks have been totally exploited, overexploited or depleted. Overfishing, in particular, has driven the depletion of almost 90 per cent of big predator fish, such as cod, tuna and swordfish.
In Spain, around 70 per cent of fresh, frozen and canned fish is sold by large retailers. Therefore, Greenpeace is publishing a second retailers’ ranking in Spain to show consumers which groups have improved their policies of buying and selling fish and which groups are still performing poorly. The criteria used in this evaluation include acquisition and labelling policies of fish products and the presence of endangered species on the supermarket shelves.
Carrefour is the only food chain scoring less than in the previous study, published last year. Although Carrefour was the first to stop selling threatened red tuna in 2007, it continues to sell other endangered species.
Lidl has removed several species listed in the Greenpeace red list of threatened or unsustainably caught fish from its shelves and retains its first place in the ranking.
According to Greenpeace, the six retailers who took part in the study are still in the red, meaning they are still selling species included in Greenpeace’s red list for Spain. Greenpeace is demanding that all retailers take immediate action to improve their policy of buying fish products.
The campaign being developed in Spain is part of a global effort to create a sustainable seafood market worldwide. In May, Greenpeace announced the progress of its seafood markets campaign in Portugal with the launch of a second Portuguese retailers ranking, presenting the last ranked retailer, Jerónimo Martins, with a Golden Fishbone Award, which represents the likely future of marine life if the industry’s attitude does not change .
Should fisheries be closed during breeding time to allow stocks to reach more sustainable levels?
- 19 - 20 May, 2010
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