*** PRESS RELEASE
***
International Marine Mammal Project
Earth Island Institute
300 Broadway, Suite 28
San Francisco, CA 94133
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2005
Contacts: David Phillips
(415) 788-3666 x145
cell (415) 713-1674
Mark Berman
(415) 788-3666 x146
CONSUMER ALERT:
"SEALORD" BRAND TUNA
OWNED BY JAPAN WHALING COMPANY
SOLD IN NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIA
(San Francisco) Earth Island Institute's International Marine Mammal Project today announced that "Sealord" brand
tuna, canned in New Zealand and sold in New Zealand and Australia, is owned
by Nissui (Nippon Suisan Kaisha Ltd.) of Japan. Sealord is not
eligible for Earth Island Institute's Dolphin Safe tuna policy because Nissui markets whale meat in Japan for the
controversial, government-sponsored "scientific" whaling in Antarctica and the North
Pacific, slaughtering hundreds of whales annually. Japan's Fisheries
Agency proposed this summer to increase their whaling effort to catch
more than 1,000 whales annually, including endangered humpback and
fin whales.
"We strongly oppose Japan's whaling effort," notes David Phillips, Director of Earth Island Institute. "Sealord Tuna cannot
claim to be 'dolphin safe' when its parent company is marketing whale
meat."
"Earth Island's Dolphin Safe tuna policy," added Phillips, "does not just address the protection of dolphins. Earth Island's
policy also requires companies to refrain from whaling, refrain from
killing sea turtles, and refrain from using other fishing practices
that harm marine life and their ecosystems."
Consumers are urged to tell the owner or manager of stores that Sealord tuna is owned by one of the Japanese companies
(Nissui) promoting the slaughter of whales. They should take it off their
shelves and not sell it. Earth Island urges store owners and
managers to remove all Sealord tuna and cease selling it to consumers.
Owners or managers who are interested in selling true Dolphin Safe tuna in their stores, verified by Earth Islands tuna monitoring
program, can visit Earth Island's website, which includes listings of
more than 300 tuna companies that catch and process tuna without
chasing, netting or harming dolphins:
http://www.DolphinSafeTuna.org
* * * *
Earth Island Institute is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to protecting the diversity of life on Earth. The
International Marine Mammal Project works to protect whales, dolphins
and other marine mammals around the world.
**********************************
"I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: 'O Lord,
make my enemies ridiculous.' And God granted it."
--Voltaire--
Mark J. Palmer
Assistant Director
International Marine Mammal Project
Director
Wildlife Alive
Earth Island Institute
300 Broadway, Suite 28
San Francisco, CA 94133
(415) 788-3666 x139
(415) 788-7324 (fax)
< mpalmer@cal.net >
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