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The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact: Email:,pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org

More than Half of Leading U.S. Supermarkets Show Progress in Latest Greenpeace Sustainable Seafood Scorecard

Trader Joe’s Receives Worst Ranking of National Supermarket Chains, Again

WASHINGTON

In the third edition of Greenpeace's seafood
sustainability scorecard -Carting Away the Oceans -- released today,
more than half of the leading supermarket chains in the U.S. have now
made some sign of progress in increasing the sustainability of their
seafood operations.

Of the 20 largest supermarket chains in the United States, nine remain
that have made no visible effort to increase the sustainability of
their seafood operations and continue to ignore scientific warnings
about the crisis facing global fisheries and the marine environment.
These include: Aldi, Costco, Giant Eagle, H.E.B., Meijer, Price
Chopper, Publix, Trader Joe's, and Winn Dixie. Despite the progress of
many companies, all continue to stock "red list" seafood like orange
roughy, swordfish, or Chilean sea bass - some of the world's most
critically imperiled species. None of the companies featured in the
report guarantee that they won't sell seafood from fisheries that are
harming sea turtles, dolphins, seals, sea lions, or other marine
mammals.

"The good news is that seafood sustainability is now on the radar of
many major retailers so we are seeing a shift in practices, but much
more progress is needed," said Greenpeace's Senior Markets Campaigner,
Casson Trenor. "Unfortunately, our oceans remain in crisis and
retailers that ignore this fact are contributing to the collapse of our
marine ecosystems."

The rankings follow:

1. Wegmans
2. Ahold USA (Stop & Shop, Giant)
3. Whole Foods
4. Target
5. Safeway (Dominicks, Genuardi's, Pavilions, Randall's, Vons)
6. Harris Teeter
7. Walmart
8. Delhaize (Bloom, Food Lion, Hannaford Bros., Sweetbay)
9. Kroger (Baker's, City Market, Dillon's, Fred Meyer, Fry's, King Soopers, Ralph's,
Smith's, Quality Food Center - QFC)
10. Costco
11. Aldi
12. A&P (Food Emporium, Pathmark, Super Fresh, Waldbaum's)
13. Supervalu (Acme, Albertson's, Bristol Farms, Jewel-Osco, Save-A-Lot, Shaw's)
14. Giant Eagle
15. Publix
16. Winn-Dixie
17. Trader Joe's
18. Meijer
19. Price Chopper
20. H.E. Butt (H.E.B., Central Market)

To help ensure the long-term sustainability of fisheries and marine
ecosystems, Greenpeace advocates the creation of a worldwide network of
marine reserves and fisheries management based on a precautionary,
ecosystem-based approach. Today, supermarkets can help the oceans and
meet consumer demand for sustainable products by refusing to sell
seafood from fisheries that:

exploit endangered, vulnerable and/or protected species, or species with poor stock status;
cause habitat destruction and/or lead to ecosystem alterations;
cause negative impacts on other, non-target species;
are unregulated, unreported, illegal or managed poorly, and
cause negative impacts on local, fishing dependent communities.
The supermarket chain Wegmans
received top ranking followed by Ahold USA, while Whole Foods dropped
to third place from its December 2008 first place ranking. Trader Joe's
remains ranked at # 17, the worst ranking of the national supermarket
chains surveyed. Three regional chains ranked at the bottom.

Greenpeace is a global, independent campaigning organization that uses peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.

+31 20 718 2000