US retail chain Costco appears to have given in to public pressure to end sales of Faroese salmon, despite its claims to the contrary.
Environmental groups have campaigned for Faroese goods to be boycotted by the retail chain, as Hollywood B-listers have been marshalled to add their names to petitions calling on the company to stop handling Faroese farmed salmon, on the basis that the Faroe Islands continue to hold the Grind pilot whale hunt.
Several online petitions have claimed victory, although in a statement to one of them, Costco stated that the decision to stop buying Faroese salmon was not related to the pilot whale hunt.
‘Costco Wholesale buys a tiny portion of its farmed salmon from the Faroe Islands. Because of our progress in sourcing from other countries (including Norway), we previously determined that our members would see better value if we discontinued the Faroe sourcing. Pre-existing commitments to the Faroe supplier, which we are advised has not participated in the whale fishery, are being honored but not renewed. We express no view on activities of the citizens of Faroe that are unrelated to our product sourcing,’ Costco stated in its response to one of numerous campaigns.
Sea Shepherd has made a habit over the last few summers of sending its activists to the Faroes in the hope of disrupting a pilot whale hunt, but this year has decided against direct action in the Faroe Islands.
