The Greenpeace spoof ad, which edits raw and bloody footage of the fishing method used by John West into the latest John West television commercial, was pulled from YouTube earlier this morning after John West complained that it was a breach of copyright.
“Today’s censorship proves that John West would rather cover up the fact that they needlessly kill threatened juvenile tuna, sharks, rays and even endangered sea turtles than live up to their sustainability rhetoric and update their fishing practices,” said Greenpeace Ocean Campaigner Nathaniel Pelle.
The move comes just a day after Greenpeace called on John West’s owner Simplot to clarify whether they exerted pressure on a small family-owned company to pull down a Greenpeace billboard attacking John West’s fishing methods. John West has also blocked anyone outside Australia and New Zealand from seeing its Facebook page following international pressure to change its fishing practices.
“Greenpeace is demanding John West commit to stop using ‘fish aggregating devices' (FADs). Fishing with FADs and giant nets is indiscriminate - at least 10% of each haul is 'bycatch,' such as baby tuna, sharks and turtles. This rate is ten times higher than nets set without FADs
“Australian brand Safcol has already switched to more sustainable fishing methods. Greenseas and Sirena have also pledged to stop using destructive FADs. The biggest brand John West, however, has refused,” said Pelle. “Even John West UK and John West Germany has listened to its consumers and committed to tuna fished responsibly. Meanwhile John West Australia is denying the gruesome reality that they needlessly kill marine life for every can they produce.”[1]
BWM Lead Creative for the John West advertising campaign, Ant Shannon, boasted that “the success of John West has been largely built on the mythology of their selection process.”
“Unfortunately for them, the John West myth is busted. John West don’t pick the best, they pick whatever is cheap even if it is at the cost of sharks, baby tuna and turtles,” said Pelle.
Check out the banned YouTube video, now available on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/51871738
For interviews, images or more information, contact: Greenpeace Media Advisor: Elsa Evers, 0438 204 041, elsa.evers@greenpeace.org
Thursday, November 1, 2012, Sydney: John West attempted to suppress damning evidence about destructive fishing methods used by the company today by removing a Greenpeace spoof video from YouTube.