| |
| Shrimp Information
Campaign |
For
environmentally-friendly choices and the protection
of our local industry |
| On-line
since July 3, 2006 |
You are presently on the petition
page. Visit the other pages to know more on the subject
of Shrimp Fishing. Purpose |
Coldwater
shrimp fishing in Canada is one of the most
environmentally-friendly in the world. Thanks to our
fishing techniques and regulations, this is an industry
we can be proud of! However, the Canadian Shrimp industry
is going through difficult times, namely because of
cheap warmwater shrimp imports which are, for the most
part, and environmental fiasco.
Oppositely, countries from Central
and South America and Asia who fish for warmwater
shrimp do so without using the Nordmore grate,
which makes it one the the most devastating activities
for the marine environment. These countries fish warmwater
shrimp in international waters around the world with
little or no regulations. Farmed shrimp is just as bad
for the environment and is also the cause of much social
injustice for small farmers and fishers.
The purpose of this campaign is
to inform you, the consumer, of the difference between
coldwater and warmwater shrimp and the actions you can
take to help stop this environmental carnage. By the
same token, you will be encouraging the Canadian Shrimp
Fishery. |
|
| photo;
Renee Comet - NCIA |
| Warmwater Shrimp; taking
a big bite out of the Environment |
|
|
|
The warmwater shrimp fishery:
- accounts for one third
of the bycatch in the world's oceans (10 pounds of
bycatch for every pound of shrimp),
- reduces the Oceans' biodiversity and
puts dozens of species in danger of extinction,
- in general does not use the Nordmore
grate and does little to reduce the amount of bycatch
it generates,
- is responsible for the destruction of
mangroves and is the cause of much social injustice
(farmed shrimp),
- endangers our local industry by the dumping
of cheap products, which are not caught or produced
in an ethical manner.
The coldwater shrimp fishery:
- has negligible bycatch rates (less than
1 %), thanks to the use of the Nordmore grate,
- is a model of sustainable fishing, because
stocks are well managed and catch quotas respected,
- is an excellent candidate for ecocertification,
which would help consumers identify this product as
such at the grocery store and make it more desirable
for importing countries.
|
|
|
|
| Warmwater
shrimp nets catch everything in their path. |
|
|
| 150,000
sea turtles drown each year in warmwater
shrimp nets. Many of the 7 species of sea
trutles face extinction within 50 years. |
|
image; Bonnie Branner (NASA SeaWIFS)
|
| The
Nordmore grate is used in Canada. This allows
Canadian coldwater shrimp to have one of
the lowest bycatch rates in the world. |
|
|
|
| Our petition
to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada |
By signing the petition, you will
be encouraging the Canadian government to adopt laws
which will limit the amount of tropical shrimp entering
the country and you will be helping put a stop the environmental
destruction the world's oceans and coastal lands. By
the same token you will help secure the future of our
Canadian Shrimp industry, a model of conservation and
sustainable development.
The petition
Whereas most foreign shrimp imports;
- do not conform to the environmental
standards of the Canadian Shrimp industry,
- represent one third of global bycatch
and therefore constitute a serious threat to biodiversity
and the future resources of our planet,
- contribute to social injustice in many
countries, loss of arable land and the destruction
of mangroves and other important ecosystems (in
the case of farmed shrimp),
- endanger the survival of the Shrimp
industry in Canada,
I, the undersigned, ask the Government of Canada
to kindly introduce a bill forbidding shrimp products
which do not conform to the same standards as those
imposed upon the Canadian Shrimp industry and to impose
tariffs, quotas, surtaxes or duties ensuring that
the Canadian Shrimp industry be protected against
what constitutes dumping and unfair competition through
unethical fishing practices. I also ask that the Government
of Canada help obtain the Sustainable Fishery Certification
for Canadian-caught shrimp by all means possible,
including financial assistance where necessary. This
bill would contribute greatly to global environmental
protection and sustainable development.
Tell your friends
about this website. Send them an e-mail now in either
English
or French
(click with your mouse). |
| You
can also get more people to sign the paper petition (at
work or school). To download the petition grid, click
here.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
