HSI Press Release - Major U.S. Sushi Supplier Linked to Japan's Whale Hunts

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Major U.S. Sushi Supplier Linked to Japan's Whale Hunts

WASHINGTON (April 10, 2007) -- True World Foods, one of the largest

suppliers of sushi meat in the United States, has entered into a

partnership with leading Japanese whale meat trader, Kyokuyo, to

distribute Kyokuyo's new frozen sushi product in the United States.

In its new report, " Raw Deal, " the Environmental Investigation Agency

details Kyokuyo's decades-long involvement in hunting whales and its

recent links to True World Foods.

Kyokuyo is a multinational seafood conglomerate that got its start in

the 1930s as a whaling company operating in the Antarctic. Although

it sold its stock in the government of Japan's whaling fleet last

year, Kyokuyo has not cut its connections to the whaling industry. It

continues to sell millions of cans of Polar Seas brand canned whale

meat and other whale products across Japan and on the Internet.

Humane Society International and IFAW (The International Fund for

Animal Welfare) have joined EIA in calling on True World Foods to

persuade Kyokuyo to stop selling whale products.

Kyokuyo recently partnered with True World Foods, the self-described

" premier " seafood and sushi distributor in the U.S. to market frozen

sushi under the brand name " Polar Seas Frozen Sushi. " The groups are

urging U.S. grocery stores to think twice before placing Polar Seas

products on their shelves. The product is slated to hit grocery

stores here as early as this summer.

" Through its sales of millions and millions of cans of whale meat in

Japan each year, Kyokuyo is a driving force behind Japan's expanding

commercial whaling industry, " said EIA president Allan Thornton. " We

appeal to True World Foods to use their influence to persuade Kyokuyo

to immediately end their massive sale of whale meat and to uphold

international laws that protect great whales from commercial hunting. "

" No respectable business should want to be associated with the cruel

and inhumane killing of one of the world's most magnificent animals, "

said Kitty Block, director of treaty law, oceans, and wildlife

protection for HSI. " With such a large presence in the United States

where citizens are outraged by the wanton slaughter, it is incumbent

upon True World Foods to convince Kyokuyo to get out of the whaling

business now. "

Since the 1930s, Japanese hunters have killed more than half a

million whales. Kyokuyo alone has profited from the death of over

130,000 whales over the last 70 years. The International Whaling

Commission banned commercial whaling in 1986, but a loophole that

allows whaling for " scientific purposes " continues to be exploited by

Japan. More than 508 whales have already been killed in Japan's hunt

this year.

" Despite a global ban and global outrage, the government of Japan now

hunts more than 1,200 whales each year, " said IFAW's Patrick Ramage.

" U.S. shoppers will be shocked to know that by buying 'Polar Seas'

sushi, they are supporting Japan's deadly whale hunt. "

Japan has announced that, in addition to the 1,200 minke and fin

whales it plans to hunt this year, it will also kill up to 50

humpback whales - a creature beloved to whale watchers around the

world for its majestic acrobatics.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Report, Photos, Video Available.

 

Media Contacts:

Danielle Grabiel

EIA

(202) 483-6621

daniellegrabiel

 

Polly Shannon

HSI

(301) 721-6440

pshannon

 

Jennifer Ferguson-Mitchell

IFAW

(508) 744-2076

jfm

Broadcast quality video and stills of Japanese commercial whaling and

whale beauty footage available via www.thenewsmarket.com/ifaw.

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The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) is a Washington, DC- and

London- based independent, international campaigning organization

committed to investigating and exposing environmental crime, and

campaigning to protect endangered species and the natural world. On

the web at www.eia-global.org.

 

Humane Society International (HSI) is the international division of

The Humane Society of the United States, the nation's largest animal

protection organization. HSI has worked for decades to protect

whales. On the web at www.savewhalesnotwhaling.org.

 

IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) was founded in 1969 and

works around the globe to protect animals and their habitats while

promoting practical solutions for animals and people. On the web at

www.ifaw.org.

 

 

Humane Society International

 

2100 L Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20037

<http://www.humanesociety.org/>www.humanesociety.org

Promoting the Protection of All Animals

 

 

 

 

Interested in taking action online to help animals? Then join our

online community and sign up for our Humane Action Network. Go to

<http://www.hsus.org/join>www.hsus.org/join .

 

 

 

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