美國最大海鮮壽司供應商之一的 True World Foods日前與日本一間知名鯨肉公司合作，在全美販售將該日籍公司的新冷凍壽司產品。不過一些保育團體卻頻頻向 True World Foods施壓，要求說服這個多國籍Kyokuyo海鮮集團的貿易夥伴立即停止販售鯨肉產品。
「環境調查協會」（EIA）主席Allan Thornton表示，「Kyokuyo每年在日本賣掉成千上百萬個冷凍鯨肉罐，是擴展日本捕鯨貿易市場的主要驅動力」EIA的報告指出，「儘管Kyokuyo近期的市場占有率滑落代表不再獵捕鯨魚，但該公司仍是最大的冷凍罐裝鯨肉製造商，因此在日本現行捕鯨業中依然保有屹立不搖的地位，甚至計劃在未來的肉品市場中擴大版圖」。
True World Foods則在11日的聲明稿中表示公司並未直接涉入鯨肉的買賣。
國際動物福利基金會全球反捕鯨運動的召集人Patrick Ramage指出，「日本政府無視全球禁捕令與國際社會髮指，每年仍平均獵捕超過1,200頭鯨魚」，「若美國的消費者知道自己在購買極海壽司的同時，等同助長日本的獵鯨行為，必定大感驚訝」。
One of the largest U.S. suppliers of sushi seafood is drawing fire from conservation groups since it partnered with the leading Japanese whale meat trader to distribute the Japanese company's new frozen sushi product in the United States. True World Foods is being pressured to persuade its new business partner, the multinational seafood conglomerate Kyokuyo, to stop selling whale meat products.
"Through Kyokuyo’s sales of millions and millions of cans of whale meat in Japan each year, it is a driving force behind Japan's expanding commercial whaling industry," said Environmental Investigation Agency president Allan Thornton. "While Kyokuyo’s recent divestment of shares means that it is no longer carrying out whaling, it continues to be the largest producer of canned whalemeat, and as such, plays a significant role in Japan’s current whaling industry and future plans to expand it," the EIA report states.
True World Foods said today in a statement that the company is not directly involved in the whale meat trade.
International Fund for Animal Welfare's global whale campaign manager Patrick Ramage said, "despite a global ban and global outrage, the government of Japan now hunts more than 1,200 whales each year." "U.S. shoppers will be shocked to know that by buying Polar Seas sushi, they are supporting Japan’s deadly whale hunt."
全文及圖片詳見 ENS報導
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
