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Dried shark fin. (Photo: Stock File)
Friend of the Sea harshly criticises Dongwon, Starkist
(WORLDWIDE, 3/28/2012)
Friend of the Sea sent a public letter to Dongwon Industries CEO In-Soo Cho this week regarding the company’s shark fishing practices. The sustainable seafood certification group accused Dongwon and Starkist, two of the globe’s major tuna companies, of collecting up to approximately 1.5 tonnes of dried shark fins on every trip made by their vessels.
This is equivalent to 5,000 or more sharks killed for their fins on every fishing trip.
Friend of the Sea Director Paolo Bray cited data from the Inter American Tropical Tuna Commission’s (IATTC) observer report of transshipment, and noted that several of the killed sharks were included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) redlist. He pointed out that the official IATTC document Dongwon sent Friend of the Sea had been falsified by Dongwon and did not show shark carcasses.
The last letter sent by Dongwon was in late December, when executive director Jong Koo Lee explained the company’s rationale.
“Shark Business is not the company’s interest, but it is only the procedure and one for sources of supporting crew’s income. We think that we should consider the seamen who do hard work at sea for about a year away from their families,” he wrote.
Bray responded in his letter by highlighting that forcing crew for a year out at sea is in infringement with the Maritime Labour Convention of the International Labour Organisation (ILO). He also stressed that the companies’ shark finning practice is in infringement with US Shark Conservation Act 2010, which mandates that fins be landed naturally attached to their corresponding carcass.
He further affirmed that customers would not be pleased to learn that the companies are compensating their crew’s salary by allowing them to fin thousands of sharks.
“What would consumers do if they knew that Starkist tuna lower price is compensated by your shark fins trade? What will your customers in the seafood industry and retail do now that they are aware of your practices?” he questioned.
“We urge you to provide evidence to Friend of the Sea, to all your customers and to the seafood industry that you will immediately ban shark finning practices on board your vessels and that you will provide your crew with humane working conditions in compliance with ILO standards,” Bray asserted.
He ended his letter by insisting that Starkist and Dongwon should act as true leaders and provide a positive example that all other companies in the industry can follow by showing the way towards real sustainable fishing, sharks conservation and social accountability, and requested a prompt reply.
By Natalia Real
[email protected]
www.seafood.media
Information of the company:
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Address:
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Buenos Aires, 45
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City:
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Milan
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State/ZIP:
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(20124)
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Country:
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Italy
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Phone:
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+39 2 5821 5791
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Fax:
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+39 2 5821 5400
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E-Mail:
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[email protected]
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Skype:
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https://www.instagram.com/friendofthesea_offi
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