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Waitrose: the sale of krill oil is destroying the Antarctic ecosystem.
Katie T.
started this petition to
Waitrose
VICTORY: Waitrose dropped their sells on krill products!
Just a month after we started her petition, it resulted in success! Waitrose confirmed to us that they dropped the two krill products that they were selling. "From the 8th February 2016 Waitrose was currently in the process of delisting all krill oil products. I can now confirm that we no longer stock any product with krill oil.” Waitrose customer service wrote. This is a great victory for the fragile Antarctic ecosystem, whales, penguins and seals! To find out more, go to: https://lifelineantarctica.wordpress.com/about/
------ "By selling krill oil Waitrose is helping to contribute to the decline of the fragile Antarctic ecosystem."
The delicate Antarctic marine ecosystem relies on krill to survive. Since industrial harvesting began, stocks of krill have dropped by 80% and numbers of animals such as whales, seals and penguins have declined as a result.
The entire ecosystem is at now risk of collapse.
Waitrose is one of the leading supermarkets in the UK when it comes to supplying sustainable and ethical produce.
However, we believe that the sale of Antarctic krill oil is contradicts their commitment to responsible sourcing.
We urge Waitrose to follow in the footsteps of chains such as Sainsbury's and Whole Foods in halting sales of krill oil before it is too late.
***
By selling krill oil Waitrose is partly contributing to the decline of the unspoilt and irreplacable Antarctic ecosystem.
The UK's 'most ethically-aware' supermarket is selling not just one but two two types of Antarctic krill oil as a health supplement.
Krill are vacuumed in vast quantities from the pristine waters of the Antarctic Ocean and pulped into oil.
In stocking these pills, Waitrose is directly supporting the industry that puts the Antarctic ecosystem at risk of collapse.
Despite their small size, krill is probably the most important species in the Antarctic . These tiny shrimp-like creatures form the bottom layer of the food chain and are the main food source for hundreds of marine creatures.
Now scientists have reported that krill numbers are crashing (the SumOfUs Krill Report can be read here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.sumofus.org/images/Krill_report_SumOfUs_2015.pdf)
In turn, this is endangering the survival of hundreds of marine creatures including whales, penguins, and seals.
Over the last few years there has been a sharp increase in humpback whale carcasses washing up on the beaches of Western Australia. The whales have been unusually thin, showing signs of malnutrition and starvation. Scientists have attributed these humpback deaths to a lack of their main food source, krill.
Krill-fishing is gaining momentum and these companies will only stop is if there's no market for Antarctic wildlife on our shelves.
This is why we're asking Waitrose to honour their promises of responsible sourcing and sustainability. if we can get this major retailer to refuse to sell krill-killing supplements, we can stop fishing companies from destroying the Antarctic.
Will you sign on to tell Sainsbury's to stop selling krill oil pills?
'Imagine you're a penguin. You're out on the pristine Antarctic ice, and you're looking for food...and there's nothing.
Companies are taking your food to create luxury health products.'
Products we DO NOT NEED.
This is what penguins and other sea creatures are facing. Krill populations have already dropped 80% since the 1970s.
This is harming our penguins, which depend on krill for food. Antarctic penguin populations have dropped 50% in the last 30 years.
Krill fishing is lucrative -seafood companies use mammoth vessels equipped with new technology that literally vacuums the krill from the Antarctic Ocean. Entire swathes of the sea are emptied every hour.
Krill is one of the last fish stocks that hasn't yet been plundered to extinction BUT at current fishing rates it will not remain for long.
We've been told that krill-based omega-3 supplements are good for our health, but retailers are hiding the fact that these pills are ruining our oceans.
In previous correspondence Waitrose has defended stocking krill oil citing certifications from organisations such as MSC and WWF.
Whilst these logos aim to reassure consumers that their products are sustainable, their promises do not hold up to scrutiny.
Many leading environmental organisations such as Pew Environment Group and Greenpeace have long objected to the certification of krill fishing , saying that it "falsely advertises the message that all krill are sustainably caught and that consuming krill-based omega 3 supplements or purchasing farmed salmon raised on krill meal is okay. Nothing could be further from the truth. "
To read more about the controversial certification schemes please take a look at these articles by SumOfUs and The Blue Planet Society listed below.
***
Fishing companies won't stop pillaging the Antarctic unless we show them that there's no longer consumer demand for these products.
Putting pressure on well-known high-street retailers is the best way to directly stop the depletion of the krill population.
This petition follows the one by SumOfUs, who successfully persuaded Sainsbury's to drop krill oil with the support of over 70,000 signatures.
SumOfUs has shown us that it is possible to persuade a major retailer to change their ways. In removing krill oil from their shelves, Sainsbury's have shown us that they're committed to sustainability and the future of our planet.
People power is real -we can do this!
Let's ask Waitrose to follow suit and say no irresponsible fishing practices. The sale of krill oil is unsustainable and goes against Waitrose's commitment to responsible fishing.
Please sign the petition to tell Waitrose that selling krill oil is unacceptable. With your help we can help halt the destruction of the Antarctic.
Thank you!
***
For further reading please visit the links below:
Guardian article: 'Krill fishing threatens the Antarctic':
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/mar/23/fishing.food
An article about misleading sustainability claims: 'WWF and Krill: Conservation Gone Wrong':
http://blueplanetsociety.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/wwf-and-aker-biomarine-conservation.html
Press release: PEW Environmental faults MSC certification decision:
http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/about/news-room/press-releases/2010/05/25/pew-faults-marine-stewardship-......
SumOfUs, Sainsbury's and sustainability certification:
http://sumofus.org/uncategorized/sainsburys-is-hitting-back/
Why Sainsbury's kicked krill oil off its shelves:
http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/sainsburys-supermarket-kicks-krill-oil-its-shelve.....
Whole Foods will not be bringing krill oil back:
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Markets/Whole-Foods-Market-We-re-not-bringing-krill-oil-back-bec......
Penguins suffer as krill declines:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13036795
Whales suffering from malnutrition washing up in Western Australia:
http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/06/18/humpback-whales-exhausted-climate-change
The Waitrose responsible fishing policy:
http://www.waitrose.com/home/inspiration/about_waitrose/the_waitrose_way/responsible_fishing.html
Vacuuming Antarctica for Krill:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.sumofus.org/images/Krill_report_SumOfUs_2015.pdf
Just a month after we started her petition, it resulted in success! Waitrose confirmed to us that they dropped the two krill products that they were selling. "From the 8th February 2016 Waitrose was currently in the process of delisting all krill oil products. I can now confirm that we no longer stock any product with krill oil.” Waitrose customer service wrote. This is a great victory for the fragile Antarctic ecosystem, whales, penguins and seals! To find out more, go to: https://lifelineantarctica.wordpress.com/about/
------ "By selling krill oil Waitrose is helping to contribute to the decline of the fragile Antarctic ecosystem."
The delicate Antarctic marine ecosystem relies on krill to survive. Since industrial harvesting began, stocks of krill have dropped by 80% and numbers of animals such as whales, seals and penguins have declined as a result.
The entire ecosystem is at now risk of collapse.
Waitrose is one of the leading supermarkets in the UK when it comes to supplying sustainable and ethical produce.
However, we believe that the sale of Antarctic krill oil is contradicts their commitment to responsible sourcing.
We urge Waitrose to follow in the footsteps of chains such as Sainsbury's and Whole Foods in halting sales of krill oil before it is too late.
***
By selling krill oil Waitrose is partly contributing to the decline of the unspoilt and irreplacable Antarctic ecosystem.
The UK's 'most ethically-aware' supermarket is selling not just one but two two types of Antarctic krill oil as a health supplement.
Krill are vacuumed in vast quantities from the pristine waters of the Antarctic Ocean and pulped into oil.
In stocking these pills, Waitrose is directly supporting the industry that puts the Antarctic ecosystem at risk of collapse.
Despite their small size, krill is probably the most important species in the Antarctic . These tiny shrimp-like creatures form the bottom layer of the food chain and are the main food source for hundreds of marine creatures.
Now scientists have reported that krill numbers are crashing (the SumOfUs Krill Report can be read here: https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.sumofus.org/images/Krill_report_SumOfUs_2015.pdf)
In turn, this is endangering the survival of hundreds of marine creatures including whales, penguins, and seals.
Over the last few years there has been a sharp increase in humpback whale carcasses washing up on the beaches of Western Australia. The whales have been unusually thin, showing signs of malnutrition and starvation. Scientists have attributed these humpback deaths to a lack of their main food source, krill.
Krill-fishing is gaining momentum and these companies will only stop is if there's no market for Antarctic wildlife on our shelves.
This is why we're asking Waitrose to honour their promises of responsible sourcing and sustainability. if we can get this major retailer to refuse to sell krill-killing supplements, we can stop fishing companies from destroying the Antarctic.
Will you sign on to tell Sainsbury's to stop selling krill oil pills?
'Imagine you're a penguin. You're out on the pristine Antarctic ice, and you're looking for food...and there's nothing.
Companies are taking your food to create luxury health products.'
Products we DO NOT NEED.
This is what penguins and other sea creatures are facing. Krill populations have already dropped 80% since the 1970s.
This is harming our penguins, which depend on krill for food. Antarctic penguin populations have dropped 50% in the last 30 years.
Krill fishing is lucrative -seafood companies use mammoth vessels equipped with new technology that literally vacuums the krill from the Antarctic Ocean. Entire swathes of the sea are emptied every hour.
Krill is one of the last fish stocks that hasn't yet been plundered to extinction BUT at current fishing rates it will not remain for long.
We've been told that krill-based omega-3 supplements are good for our health, but retailers are hiding the fact that these pills are ruining our oceans.
In previous correspondence Waitrose has defended stocking krill oil citing certifications from organisations such as MSC and WWF.
Whilst these logos aim to reassure consumers that their products are sustainable, their promises do not hold up to scrutiny.
Many leading environmental organisations such as Pew Environment Group and Greenpeace have long objected to the certification of krill fishing , saying that it "falsely advertises the message that all krill are sustainably caught and that consuming krill-based omega 3 supplements or purchasing farmed salmon raised on krill meal is okay. Nothing could be further from the truth. "
To read more about the controversial certification schemes please take a look at these articles by SumOfUs and The Blue Planet Society listed below.
***
Fishing companies won't stop pillaging the Antarctic unless we show them that there's no longer consumer demand for these products.
Putting pressure on well-known high-street retailers is the best way to directly stop the depletion of the krill population.
This petition follows the one by SumOfUs, who successfully persuaded Sainsbury's to drop krill oil with the support of over 70,000 signatures.
SumOfUs has shown us that it is possible to persuade a major retailer to change their ways. In removing krill oil from their shelves, Sainsbury's have shown us that they're committed to sustainability and the future of our planet.
People power is real -we can do this!
Let's ask Waitrose to follow suit and say no irresponsible fishing practices. The sale of krill oil is unsustainable and goes against Waitrose's commitment to responsible fishing.
Please sign the petition to tell Waitrose that selling krill oil is unacceptable. With your help we can help halt the destruction of the Antarctic.
Thank you!
***
For further reading please visit the links below:
Guardian article: 'Krill fishing threatens the Antarctic':
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/mar/23/fishing.food
An article about misleading sustainability claims: 'WWF and Krill: Conservation Gone Wrong':
http://blueplanetsociety.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/wwf-and-aker-biomarine-conservation.html
Press release: PEW Environmental faults MSC certification decision:
http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/about/news-room/press-releases/2010/05/25/pew-faults-marine-stewardship-......
SumOfUs, Sainsbury's and sustainability certification:
http://sumofus.org/uncategorized/sainsburys-is-hitting-back/
Why Sainsbury's kicked krill oil off its shelves:
http://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/sainsburys-supermarket-kicks-krill-oil-its-shelve.....
Whole Foods will not be bringing krill oil back:
http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Markets/Whole-Foods-Market-We-re-not-bringing-krill-oil-back-bec......
Penguins suffer as krill declines:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13036795
Whales suffering from malnutrition washing up in Western Australia:
http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/06/18/humpback-whales-exhausted-climate-change
The Waitrose responsible fishing policy:
http://www.waitrose.com/home/inspiration/about_waitrose/the_waitrose_way/responsible_fishing.html
Vacuuming Antarctica for Krill:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.sumofus.org/images/Krill_report_SumOfUs_2015.pdf
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