Greenpeace went on surprise raid to eight Toronto-area Loblaws stores and caught them red-handed selling red list fish as part of a nationwide campaign targeting retailers. The organization said that marketing seafood species harvested or farmed in an unsustainable and environmentally destructive manner is not allowed. Greenpeace says Loblaws, Canada’s largest supermarket chain, sells 14 of the 15 species on the NGO’s “red list,” which include Atlantic cod, Atlantic salmon, Atlantic sea scallops, Chilean sea bass, haddock, swordfish and bigeye, bluefin and yellowfin tuna.
Beth Hunter, oceans coordinator for Greenpeace, opined that they are asking Loblaws and other retailers to take the pressure off threatened fisheries now by purchasing their seafood only from sustainably managed fisheries. Loblaw Cos. Ltd.’s banners include Atlantic Superstore, Maxi, Provigo, Zehrs and Loblaws. The company is based in Brampton, Ontario.
John Hocevar, oceans campaign director for Greenpeace-USA, expressed that the eco-activist group is re-releasing its U.S. report card in early December, and this time around not every U.S. retailer will get a failing grade. Hocevar expected Whole Foods’ and Ahold USA’s grades to improve, because since then Whole Foods has strengthened its farmed seafood purchasing criteria, and Stop & Shop and Giant Food, which are owned by Royal Ahold, has stopped selling three red list species (Chilean sea bass, orange roughy and shark).
