Conservation group Sea Shepherd has changed its target - it no longer wants to save the whales but their food.
It claims human consumption of krill as a health supplement has led to overfishing and it's calling for a boycott of a leading health supplement company.
The group is known for daring frontline tactics against Japanese whalers, but Sea Shepherd has now gone online with a petition against Eco Krill, sold by Australian company Blackmores.
"This particular supplement, because of its outrageous claim that it's somehow environmentally-friendly sets a dangerous precedent across all other krill products," says Adam Burling of Sea Shepherd.
Krill is the main food for whales, some penguins and Antarctic birds.
It's also rich in Omega 3 and Sea Shepherd claims huge factory ships are vacuuming up krill and selling it to fish farms and supplement companies like Blackmores.
"This company is taking around about 100,000 tonnes a year, its half the global catch of krill."
There are many krill products available but Sea Shepherd is targeting Blackmores because of the company's eco claims.
The product carries a Marine Stewardship Council certification, an organisation which claims to "set and maintain the standards for sustainable fishing and seafood traceability".
But Sea Shepherd rejects that and warns it'll step up its action if Blackmores doesn't listen.
"As the campaign goes on we will look at a range of tactics potentially including field tactics," says Mr Burling.
As for Blackmores, it reported record sales and profits for the first half of this year.
Its head office says it's preparing a response to the online petition about its Eco Krill product.
3 News
source: newshub archive
