News Releases from the Environmental Justice Foundation

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE FOUNDATION News Release

Cooking with a conscience this Christmas: celebrity chef joins environmental group to combat environmental and human rights impacts of prawn production.

Embargo: London, 00:01 19th 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.

Consumers currently have little way of knowing how their prawns have been produced which has prompted EJF to produce its new free consumer guide: at Environmental Justice Foundation | Homepage (ejfoundation.org), where  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, [email protected] or Dr Mike Shanahan + 44 (0) 20 7359 0440. Materials can also be downloaded directly from ejfoundation.org