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Canadian Shark Loose on the Streets of London
The EAC is challenging the 'sustainable' label for the Surface Longline Swordfish Fishery
Hector the Blue Shark protesting outside the MSC
For Immediate Release – October 17th, 2011
Media Advisory
Canadian Shark Loose on the Streets of London
What: Sit-in by life-size shark
When: 1100 to 1330 at Marine Stewardship Council HQ, 1 Snow Hill
Q: Why did the shark cross the Atlantic Ocean?
A: Not just to get to the other TIDE, it turns out...
London, UK - For the start of international shark week, a Canadian blue shark named Hector has traveled all the way London, on a bicycle no less, to confront the world’s leading seafood ecolabeling organization, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). Hector is the spokeshark of a campaign working to bring attention to the plight of the world's sharks being caught in huge numbers as collateral damage in surface longline fishing. Know as 'bycatch', tens of millions of sharks every year are caught and thrown back injured or dead as fishing fleets chase other high value fish.
Despite opposition from 35 conservation groups around the world, the London based MSC is in the process of awarding the Canadian fishery with the highest levels of shark bycatch its premium, ecol-label. This stamp of approval helps consumers choose sustianably caught fish at the grocery store and rewards fisheries with a higher price.
The Canadian surface longline fishery for swordfish is one of the more egregious examples of a surface longline fishery with wasteful bycatch. This indiscriminate type of fishing uses lines more than 30 k long with 500 to 1500 baited hooks. Every year, while targeting roughly 20 000 swordfish, this fishery catches at least 100 000 sharks- almost all of which are thrown back injured or dead. Other annual bycatch in this fishery includes 1400 threatened sea turtles and 25 other species of fish.
The Ecology Action Centre (EAC) in Halifax, Canada has worked for years through science and policy advocacy at both the national and international level for regulations and changes to the management of this fishery. The fleet continues to fish and catch endangered spices with impunity.
Four major conservation organizations have filed an official objection to the assessment and contend that this is akin to consumer fraud. Eco-conscious shoppers would likely not think that the 'green' swordfish they were buying came with a hearty, side order of dead, endangered sharks. The groups who have filed the objection are the Ecology Action Centre, Oceana, David Suzuki Foundation, and the Sea Turtle Conservancy.
The affable ‘spokes-shark’ and colleagues from Canada will be outside the Marine Stewardship Council London headquarters today at 1 Snow Hill from 1100 to 1330 and have a scheduled a meeting with senior executives of the MSC to present concerns about the proposed fishery eco-certification.
Contacts:
Shannon Arnold – 0777 609 0973
Skype - whosgoingmyway
Marine Conservation Coordinator, Ecology Action Centre
Jordan Nikoloyuk
Sustainable Fisheries Coordinator
Ecology Action Centre, Halifax
For more information
Media brief about the objection - (http://friendsofhector.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/objectionmediabrief.pdf)
Hector’s background story – http://hectoronwheels.org/about-hector/
Friends of Hector can keep in touch through Facebook :www.facebook.com/HectortheBlueShark
Read about his incredible journey at his blog: www.hectoronwheels.org
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