High Liner Foods has declared it will not be purchasing products sourced from Icelandic companies linked to whaling, according to the nonprofit group Whales Need US.
The group, in a statement, said it contacted "dozens" of major American wholesalers and retailers that source Icelandic seafood, and urged them to examine their Icelandic suppliers to look for connections to whaling, which remains legal in Iceland.
The group also purchased advertising space in Boston subways during Seafood Expo North America, featuring the image of a whale and the line, "Do you know who caught your seafood?"
High Liner issued a statement at the beginning of the Expo promising not to enter into any new contracts with HB Grandi, a company connected to the whaling industry in Iceland.
Other NGOs and environmental groups praised the move, including Phil Kline, senior ocean campaigner for Greenpeace, who said, "This announcement by High Liner clearly shows that Iceland's fin whaling is bad for business. Americans love whales and will vote with their pocketbooks, a situation High Liner obviously understands."
