The Gorton’s Family Whale Killing Business Gorton’s of Gloucester’s Ties to Japan’s Commercial Whale Hunts CONTENTS Introduction 1 Gorton’s ties to Japanese whale hunting 2 - 3 Nissui’s history of commercial whaling 4 - 7 The moratorium on commercial whaling 6 Nissui’s role in the decimation of sperm 8 and fin whale populations Mizuho Bank—financing Japan’s whale hunts 8 Nissui and the hunting of whales in the 9 Southern Ocean Sanctuary Japan targets humpback and fin whales 10 Conclusion 11 References 11 © Morgan/Greenpeace Above: Japanese whale hunters harpoon a minke whale in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary. INTRODUCTION to reconsider its “research” hunts, but neither Nissui nor the Government of Japan have been dissuaded. The Kyodo Senpaku whaling fleet has steadily increased the number of whales it kills and has expanded the species harpooned from minkes to include Bryde’s and sperm whales. In June 2005, the Japanese government announced plans to add endangered southern hemisphere fin and threatened humpback whales to the growing list of great whale species that Nissui and its partners in Kyodo Senpaku kill. As I write this, the Kyodo Senpaku fleet is sailing for the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary, established in 1994 with overwhelming support by the IWC to protect great whales from continued hunting. Some whale populations in the Southern Ocean were nearly wiped out due to 20th century whaling. Through its vice presidency of the Japan Fisheries Association, Nissui consistently supports an end to the IWC’s ban on commercial whaling. In its disregard for the © Mia Strickland/Environmental Investigation Agency Investigation Agency © Mia Strickland/Environmental Above: Gorton’s of Gloucester is a wholly owned subsidiary of international laws protecting whales, Nissui is also ignoring Nippon Suisan Kaisha Ltd. (Nissui), a company with a 70 year the wishes of millions of people that patronize those Nissui history of whaling. companies that contribute to its financial success, including INTRODUCTION the customers of Gorton’s. For 70 years, the Nippon Suisan Kaisha Ltd. company of As one of the largest seafood products companies in the US, Japan—also known as Nissui—has been involved with the Gorton’s plays an important role in the financial success of large scale commercial hunting of great whales, which Nissui. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Nissui USA, continues today despite the international ban on commercial Gorton’s of Gloucester is directly linked to Nissui’s whaling. In 2001, Nissui, through its US subsidiary Nippon continued involvement in the commercial whale meat trade Suisan USA, purchased seafood giant Gorton’s, Inc. of and the ongoing and ever expanding hunting of Gloucester, Massachusetts. Gorton’s is the leading retail internationally protected whales by Kyodo Senpaku. distributor of frozen fish products in the US, generating approximately $200 million in annual revenue—the most I have witnessed first hand the killing of fin, sperm and lucrative of all of Nissui’s overseas business segments. minke whales—watched as they writhed in agony on the end of a harpoon until they slowly died, their rare and precious Nissui holds 31.9% of the shares in Kyodo Senpaku, a lives ebbing away. Their remains are left to be transformed company established in 1987 to continue commercial whale into meat, shipped and sold in Japanese markets by hunting under the guise of “scientific research”— a year companies like Nissui. after commercial hunts were banned by the International Whaling Commission (IWC). The IWC implements the Do the customers of Gorton’s of Gloucester want to support International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling and Nissui—a company that is responsible for killing more than is the body recognized by the United Nations as having legal 175,000 great whales and consistently thwarting authority over the world’s whales. international laws passed to protect whales? Since 2001, when Nissui purchased Gorton’s, more than EIA is calling on Gorton’s of Gloucester to persuade Nissui 2,700 whales have been killed by Kyodo Senpaku. This is to make amends for its contribution to the destruction of the part of the more than 175,000 whales that Nissui is world’s great whales by ensuring a permanent end to the responsible for killing since it began hunting whales in the whale hunting activities of Kyodo Senpaku. We call on 1930s. Over its long history of whaling, Nissui killed over Nissui to immediately cease all whale meat purchases, sales 1,700 humpback and over 44,000 fin whales,5 contributing and distribution and to reverse its opposition to the ban on to their severe overhunting and consequent threatened and commercial whale hunting. These first steps by Gorton’s and endangered status. Nissui will begin to redress the decades of destruction wreaked on the world’s whale populations by Nissui’s Each year Nissui commercially distributes canned whale commercial whale hunting. meat from the whales harpooned by the Kyodo Senpaku fleet to supermarkets and other retail outlets across Japan. Allan Thornton, President The member nations of the International Whaling Environmental Investigation Agency, November 2005 Commission have passed 20 resolutions calling on Japan 1 GORTON’S AND NISSUI © Mia Strickland/Environmental Investigation Agency Investigation Agency © Mia Strickland/Environmental Above: The success of Gorton’s fish sticks and other ready-to-eat products have helped Gorton’s become the number one frozen seafood vendor in the U.S. GORTON’S LINK TO NISSUI, A COMPANY WITH A 70 YEAR HISTORY OF WHALE HUNTING With total annual sales in the hundreds of millions of Nissui USA) for $175 million. Nissui USA is a wholly dollars, Gorton’s, Inc. (hereafter referred to as Gorton’s) is owned subsidiary of Nippon Suisan Kaisha Ltd. (hereafter the market leader of frozen seafood and fish vendors in the referred to as Nissui), Japan’s second-largest marine United States (US). Its frozen battered shrimp, fish sticks products firm, with operations in the United States, and other ready-to-eat foods are sold at grocery stores Argentina, Chile, the Netherlands, China, Indonesia, across the US and Canada. The company also markets fresh Singapore and Vietnam. seafood for home delivery through its Gorton's Fresh Seafood internet business, supplies frozen seafood to the Recognizing the importance of overseas expansion, Nissui foodservice industry in the US, and produces the established a “Toward Global Links” plan in 2001 to McDonald’s “Filet-O-Fish®” sandwich. increase its market share and access to fishing rights through the acquisition and establishment of subsidiaries in Gorton’s was founded in the New England town of foreign countries. Through its US subsidiary, Nissui now Gloucester, Massachusetts in 1849 by Slade Gorton. In owns UniSea of Redmond, Washington, Fishking 1906, Gorton’s merged with two other local fishing Processors of Los Angeles, BlueWater Seafoods of companies to become Gorton-Pew Fisheries Company Montreal and King & Prince Seafood Corporation of which controlled the largest fleet of fishing vessels operated Brunswick, Georgia.1 by any company on the Atlantic Coast at the time. In 1995- 96, Gorton’s was purchased by General Mills and subsequently sold to Unilever's US subsidiary, Unilever USA. In 2001, Gorton’s was sold by Unilever to its current owner, Nippon Suisan (USA), Inc. (hereafter referred to as 2 GORTON’S AND NISSUI Today, Gorton’s is the number one brand name frozen © David Groves/ EIA seafood and fish vendor in the US with estimated annual sales of around $200 million dollars.11 In 2004, Gorton’s commanded 36.8 percent of the dollar share in a $613 million market. Nissui’s overseas subsidiaries, particularly Gorton’s, are vitally important to the company’s success, growth and competitive edge in the wake of increasing globalization. Gorton’s is Nissui’s most profitable overseas subsidiary.2 In its March 2005 financial report, Nissui attributed its recent profit margin increases to “…the increase in sales generated by the Marine Products business in the US and Europe, which offset the tough business climate faced in Japan.” 2 Above: As part of its global expansion, Nissui purchased Gortons, Inc. in 2001. © Mia Strickland/EIA © Mia Strickland/EIA Above: The Nissui logo, a red and white target, can be found on its canned whale meat products. © Ezra Clark/EIA Above: Nissui’s global expansion. 3 NISSUI HISTORY NISSUI’S HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL WHALE HUNTING s s 0 0 8 0 6 6 7 4 1 5 0 3 4 6 7 8 8 9 0 0 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 Nissui, Nihon Nissui be- The Japanese The Nippon Kyodo Maruha The whaling The Nissui Nissui Enyo gins pro- Antarctic moratorium Hogei becomes and departments of Southern purchases continues Gyogyo, ducing whaling fleet is comes into Kyodo Kyokuyo Nissui, Kyokuyo Ocean is Gorton’s of to own a Nissui’s canned composed of effect. Senpaku with begin and Maruha designated a Gloucester. 1/3 share oldest whale meat. three Nissui, hunting join to form one whale in Kyodo “relative,” companies: Maruha and whales in whaling sanctuary. Senpaku kills its Nissui, Kyokuyo Koyokuyo the company called which kills first and Maruha. Nippon Kyodo each owning hundreds whale. Southern roughly a 1/3 Ocean. Hogei. of whales © Mia Strickland/EIA © Mia Strickland/EIA share. each year © David Groves/ EIA © Mia Strickland/EIA © Mia Strickland/EIA in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary. NISSUI’S LONG HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL WHALE HUNTING Nissui and two other multinational fishing companies, whale yamatoni (whale boiled in soy sauce, sugar and ginger) Maruha Group, Ltd (previously Taiyo Gyogyo) and Kyokuyo under the Nissui brand name—a product that remains in its Co Ltd.