Cooking with a conscience this Christmas
Celebrity chef
joins environmental group to combat environmental and human rights impacts
of prawn production.
London,
19
December
2003
The Environmental Justice
Foundation (EJF) has been joined by TV chef Ken Hom to demand an end to
the widespread human rights and environmental abuses associated with the
prawn (or shrimp) industry. EJF today publishes a Consumer Guide to
Prawns, highlighting these abuses and how consumers can avoid promoting
them with their purchases.
“People have been murdered in 11 countries in conflict linked to prawn
farming. The environment has been degraded and human rights have been
abused to bring us this luxury food product,” said Ken Hom, who has
recorded a two minute video message highlighting these abuses.
Prawn
fisheries alone are responsible for one-third of the world’s discarded
catch, despite producing just 2% of global seafood. “150,000 marine
turtles are killed by prawn trawlers every year” said Ken Hom.
The
EJF campaign for sustainable, socially equitable prawn production has
received the support of a broad array of academics, non-governmental
organisations and politicians, yet the response from retailers and
importers has failed to match this.
“Whilst some retailers and importers in the UK have shown genuine
willingness to address negative impacts of prawn production, others have
expressed no concern whatsoever, even though the human rights and
environmental abuses associated with this industry are widespread and
serious. People are becoming poorer and hungrier as a direct consequence
of Western demand for prawns,” said Steve Trent, Director of EJF.
“With
sales of US$50-60 billion prawn farming is big business, but the true cost
is paid by the poor and vulnerable in developing world countries where
prawns are farmed, while prawn trawling is depleting fish stocks, damaging
marine environments and wiping out endangered wildlife” continued Trent.
That
consumers currently have little way of knowing how their prawns have been
produced has prompted EJF to produce its new consumer guide, available
free online at EJF’s website (http://www.ejfoundation.org/shrimp),
where celebrity messages supporting the campaign and extensive background
research can also be viewed.
“Consumers have a right to know what impacts their purchasing decisions
have. In the case of prawns it can literally be the choice between a
sustainable foodstuff and one which has been responsible for environmental
destruction and staggering social impacts,” said Dr Mike Shanahan of EJF,
continuing, “Two years of research and field investigations by EJF have
shown that the prawn industry has at times been associated with land
seizure and displacement of tens of thousands of people; pollution of
agricultural land and drinking water supplies with chemicals and salt;
violence and intimidation of local people; official corruption and
profiteering; unsustainable and highly destructive fishing practices;
endangerment of wild species and a host of other abuses”.
These
problems are linked to the production of farmed or trawled warmwater
prawns, whose consumption in the UK rises during the Christmas party
season. “We are asking consumers to think about the true price of the
prawns on their plate, and to take them off the menu if they cannot be
certain that their production has not entailed ecological impacts or human
rights abuses.” said Dr Mike Shanahan of EJF.
“Supermarkets must insist, ensure and show consumers that none of the
prawns they have for sale are causing environmental degradation or leading
to human rights abuses” concluded Steve Trent.
For
further information, copies of the consumer guide, published reports or
celebrity video message, contact, Steve Trent 07974925659, strent@ejfoundation.org
or Dr Mike Shanahan + 44 (0) 20 7359 0440. Materials can also be
downloaded directly from
www.ejfoundation.org
NOTES TO EDITORS
The
terms prawn and shrimp are often used interchangeably.
Prawn
farming is worth US$6.9 billion at the farm gate and US$50-60 billion at
the point of retail. Prawns are farmed in about 50 countries, with 99% of
production coming from developing countries. The leading ten producers in
2000 were Thailand, China, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Ecuador, the
Philippines, Bangladesh, Mexico and Brazil.
Prawn
farming has been associated with hazardous forms of child labour; illegal
land seizures; large scale destruction of mangrove forests; pollution of
water and agricultural land; and violence and intimidation. Murders
directly linked the industry have occurred in 11 countries (Mexico,
Guatemala, Honduras, Brazil, Ecuador, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Thailand,
Bangladesh and the Philippines).
In many countries, large areas of mangrove
forests have been cleared for shrimp farm construction. Loss of
mangroves, which are important habitats for many species of fish and
shellfish, has resulted in declines of these resources leaving coastal
communities with reduced food security and potential for income
generation.
Prawn
trawling in the tropics is extremely wasteful and can have devastating
ecological impacts. For every 1 kg of prawns landed, up to 20 kg of other
species are also caught but discarded, dead or dying, overboard. 150
thousand rare sea turtles are killed by prawn trawlers each year.
The EU
is the largest consumer of prawns (24% of world production), followed by
the US (21.9%).
In
2000 UK landed 21,000 Metric Tonnes (MT) of prawn and imported 77,900 MT
worth US$540 million.
Retail
prices in the UK range from approx £3.90 to over £10.00 per pound in
supermarkets.
EJF’s
detailed reports on the impacts of prawn production are available online
at
http://www.ejfoundation.org/reports.html
Ken Hom’s video message can be viewed online
at
http://www.ejfoundation.org/kenhom.html
Environmental Justice Foundation, 5 St. Peter’s Street, London N1 8JD, UK
Tel: 020 7359
0440 – Fax: 020 7359 7123
www.ejfoundation.org
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