Wal-Mart Sets 100% Sustainable Fish Target for North America
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 01.27.06
In a further attempt to help bolster its green image, mega-retailer Wal-Mart has teamed up with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in pursuit of sourcing all of the retail giant's wild-caught fresh and frozen fish for the North American market from fisheries that meet the MSC’s independent environmental standard for sustainable and well-managed fisheries. The decision will lead to dozens of fish products bearing the MSC's distinctive blue eco-label becoming available to Wal-Mart's North American customers in coming years. While it will take some time for the program to build into the more than 3,700 North American stores, Rupert Howes, Cheif Executive of MSC, said, "An immediate target is to ensure all seafood that already comes from certified fisheries will carry the MSC eco-label in Wal-Mart stores later this year. It is hoped that this commitment to the MSC programme will encourage other fisheries into the assessment process and provide a powerful new route to raise awareness of sustainable seafood choices with the North American public."
Conservation International and the World Wildlife Fund will be working with Wal-Mart and their suppliers to make improvements in less well managed fisheries, including strengthening management practices, rebuilding stocks, reducing environmental impacts, and encouraging support for broader marine ecosystem management and protection efforts. As fisheries improve, Wal-Mart and suppliers will encourage them to participate in the MSC certification program. via ::CSRwire
I get the impression that Conservation International is not such a treehugging organization. In fact, it seems to help large, multi-national corporations green-wash their image and discredit people who are legitimately concerned with the environment. See: http://www.grain.org/seedling/?id=272
Does anyone know anything about this?
Im sorry - but until Wal-Mart pays a living wage, pays for more of its workers healthcare so US States dont have to, and stops outsourcing all manufacturing to China for shipment back to North America, I dont care WHAT THEY DO, I will never shop there and I hope none of you folks do either.
This may not be green-washing and is certainly a big green gesture, but its not enough. TREEHUGGERS ALSO NEED TO FIGHT FOR SUSTAINABLE LABOR.
For more info, check out some facts at WAKE UP WAL-MARTs site.
Wal Mart should clean up its aquarium sections first! I walked into WalMart once, in Princeton NJ, saw the fish tanks with more than half the fish dead in the tanks, and walked right out. A lot simpler than this stunt.
The question becomes, if evil is supplemented with good, does that help evil be sustained? or are there peripheral effects whose benefit goes beyond the minor move by the big fish?