Pacific Stolen Fish Removed From Supermarkets

Pacific Stolen Fish Removed From Supermarkets

Suva, Fiji, October 9, 2007 -- An Austrian food discounter Norma has stopped selling tuna from companies involved in pirate fishing in the Western and Central Pacific.

Norma supermarkets in Austria and Germany have returned canned tuna produced by Spain's Albacora company to the supplier.

The move came a week after Greenpeace discovered suspicious tuna cans from Albacora in Norma shops in Salzburg Austria.

With this delisting Norma is the first supermarket in Europe to react strongly to Greenpeace's warning last week not to buy tuna from Spanish and Ecuadorian companies that have been involved in pirate fishing in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean namely Nirsa, Albcora, Conservas Garavila SA and Calvopesca.

"With the removal of these suspicious cans of tuna from the shelves of their Austrian and German outlets the first European supermarket sends a strong signal against pirate fishing in the Pacific" said Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner Lagi Toribau.

"If retailers and purchasers buy from these companies, they cannot be sure the product is legal. To ensure they are not involved in trade and marketing of stolen goods they have to cancel all contracts with these companies," said Mr Toribau.

Norma is a European food discounter with headquarters in Germany and 1300 shops in Germany, Austria, France and Czech Republic.

After Greenpeace in Austria started its sustainable seafood campaign in 2006, they quickly cleaned their shelves from some of the red listed species and upgraded their procurement policies to guarantee traceability for their fresh and frozen fish products.

In November 2006 they were leading the Greenpeace league table of Austrian supermarkets ranked by their sustainability of seafood policy.

"The world's tuna stocks are in dire straits due to rampant legal and illegal over fishing. Two key species from the Pacific, the bigeye and yellowfin are being overfished and the sustainability of the stocks is critical. It is important therefore that retailers ensure that they are only trading with products that come from legal and sustainable sources," said Greenpeace's Oceans Team Leader Nilesh Goundar.

"In order to do this retailers must demand full traceability of their seafood products." added Mr Goundar.

Mr Toribau said the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commision (WCPFC) which has a key role in managing and conserving the Pacific's tuna stocks is taking too long to act to protect Pacific tuna stocks from both illegal and legal over-fishing, but European retailers have taken the lead.

Greenpeace is calling for the halving of all tuna fishing in the Pacific in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the fisheries; a ban on all at sea transshipments (offload of catch) at sea; and for the Pacific high seas "donut holes" to be made into no-take marine reserves, to help fight piracy, and restore fish stocks and ecosystems.

ENDS

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