Dear Daniel Fitzgerald,Congratulations on your recent decision to remove pre-packed swordfish and marlin from your stores. As a supporter of the marine conservation organisation, Bite-Back, I think it is an excellent move. Thank you.
However, now that you have demonstrated an understanding for the issues that are driving swordfish and marlin to the brink of extinction, let me encourage and remind you why you must take these species off your fish counters too along with monkfish.
Swordfish and marlin do not reproduce until they are approximately five years old and live until they are nine. Right now they are being caught long before they reach a reproductive age, purely to meet the immediate retail and consumer demand.
If Sainsbury's stops stocking swordfish and marlin, you will be making a significant contribution to their future survival.
A positive outcome could be used as a model to the rest of the industry across the world, promoting ecologically responsible retailing.
Swordfish and marlin are caught commercially using a fiercely effective and indiscriminate fishing method, the longline. Each year longlines causes the unintentional death of 40,000 sea turtles, 180,000 seabirds plus thousands of sharks, dolphins and sea lions.
In the past five years, overfishing of swordfish in the Atlantic Ocean has seen stocks plummet by 66%. Stocks of swordfish and marlin in the Indian and Pacific Ocean are under increasing pressure to satisfy worldwide demand and will soon suffer he same catastrophic result unless we can reverse this trend.
Monkfish are now regularly being sourced outside of UK waters because they are becoming increasingly scarce. Perhaps that's because Monkfish don't reach a reproductive age until they are around seven and live until they are around 30, if given the chance.
Don't forget that Bite-Back isn't alone in its recommendations that we should halt the trade in threatened fish species. Organisations around the world including the Marine Conservation Society, National Audubon Society, Sea Food Choices Alliance, Natural Resources Defence Council, Blue Oceans Institute, Pew Oceans Commission, Union of Concerned Scientists, Monterey Bay Aquarium and the IUCN - World Conservation Union, are each fearful for the future of these fish and most believe we should stop eating them.
Now is your chance to help halt this environmental disaster.
1. Please stop selling swordfish, marlin and monkfish from your fish counters
2. Help set an example for the industry and explain to your customers that you will no longer be selling fish that are threatened or endangered. You'll win their support and help lead the environmental debate.
3. Write and acknowledge this email
4. Team up with Bite-Back and help pioneer a sea change in retailer responsibility towards the marine environment, win new customers and achieve positive media publicity
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
