Congratulations to Hapag Lloyd, a shipping company that puts ethics before profits!
At a time when headlines are made as hundreds of tonnes of whale meat are shipped across the globe, and friendly lions killed for fun by wealthy trophy hunters, it is refreshing to be able to report on a company which still believes that ethics deserve a look-in!
Congratulations, then, to shipping company, Hapag Lloyd, for compiling a list of products that they won’t allow on board. Importantly, their blacklist includes species or products which, in the company’s view “deserve to be safeguarded even if they aren’t yet protected by international laws.”
Their ‘no-go’ list therefore includes whale and dolphin meat and products, as well as shark fin, sealskins and hunting trophies such as lions or other large animals.
And Hapag-Lloyd goes even further: recognizing that customers sometimes make false declarations when registering their cargo, the company uses special software to scan documents and raise red flags when hazardous or banned materials are suspected.
Back in July 2013, we reported that two other shipping companies, Evergreen Line and Samskip, had vowed never to carry whale meat again following a massive public outcry which saw fin whale meat returned to Iceland.
My hope of course, is that all companies transporting live animals, or meat or products from protected species, will adopt the same stance and refuse to carry cargo that conflicts with their ethical values.
Support our campaign to stop whale products transiting European ports
