Greenpeace launch Red Fish List for New Zealand

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Greenpeace launched a major new consumer seafood campaign at Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World in Auckland yesterday, and released a 'Red Fish' guide listing the 12 most at-risk oceans species.

The list includes popular but in peril species such as orange roughy, tuna and arrow squid. It is part of a successful international consumer campaign being run by Greenpeace that’s already seen supermarkets throughout Europe and the US removing unsustainable species such as orange roughy from shelves.

The list is published online at:
http://www.greenpeace.org.nz/sos

“The oceans, fish and fishing are part of what it means to be a Kiwi,” said Carmen Gravatt, Greenpeace Campaign Manager. “We want to protect our oceans, but also protect our fish species so us and our kids can enjoy the classic Kiwi hobby, fishing.”

All the species listed in the Greenpeace guide are at high risk of having been sourced from overfished stocks, having been caught using destructive fishing methods, or both.

"Like all oceans around the world, New Zealand’s oceans are in deep trouble, and it’s because a handful of industrial fisheries are overfishing our fish stocks or using destructive catch methods,” “Industrial fisheries are ultimately fishing themselves into extinction and in the process are ruining it for every New Zealander who enjoys our oceans and the array of food they provide."

Greenpeace volunteers and supporters gathered at Kelly Tarlton’s to hand out guides and discuss the campaign with visitors.

They were accompanied by Sad Fish, the official mascot for the Greenpeace truly sustainable seafood campaign (see attached image).

Criteria for red-listing wild-caught fish include:

• the species has a life history that makes it vulnerable to overexploitation

• the species is sourced from overfished and depleted stocks, or is being fished at such high levels the stock will soon be overfished

• the fishing methods used to catch the species are highly destructive to other marine life and/or marine habitats .

"New Zealanders have the power to help end the peril our oceans and fisheries are in. We’re asking people to demand truly sustainable seafood from their retailer and use the Greenpeace Red Fish Guide to avoid 12 of the most at risk oceans species.

“If New Zealanders want to continue to eat -let alone sell -fish, we need to safeguard our fisheries by putting an end to destructive fishing. This is why Greenpeace is campaigning for a global network of fully-protected marine reserves covering 40 per cent of our oceans. Having reserves helps protect our seas from the ravages of climate change, restores the health of fish stocks, and protects ocean life from habitat destruction and collapse. We are also campaigning for the remaining fishing areas to be managed using the precautionary principle (1) and eco-system based policies.

ENDS

Notes to Editor

(1) The precautionary principle means that when (on the basis of available evidence) and activity many harm human health or the environment, a cautious approach should be taken in advance – even if the full extent of harm has not yet been fully established scientifically. It recognizes that such proof of harm may never be possible, at least until it is too late to avoid or reverse the damage done.