Environmentalists call for Boycott of South African wine
June 25, 2009
By Sophie Kevany
A US-based conservation organisation has called for a Boycott of South African wine, following the shooting of over 40 beached whales near Cape Town.
Paul Watson, head of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and Captain of its eponymous 'eco-warrior' ship, has posted a demand on the Society's website exhorting the global public not to buy wine from South Africa.
He further demands that winemakers step in and force the departure of Mike Meyer, director of South Africa's Marine Coastal Management (MCM), who reportedly authorised the shooting.
South African wine producers have expressed outrage at the ban and questioned what it has to do with the shooting.
'I suppose it shows we are one of the most visible South African exports,' said winemaker Ross Sleet of Kleine Zalze winery in Stellenbosch.
'Touch wood it hasn't hurt sales; conservation is a priority for us.'
He added it was a warning to the industry that it could be at risk from unrelated events.
South African wine writer Michael Fridjhon called Watson's remarks outrageous.
MCM said its rationale for shooting the whales was that efforts to return the whales to the sea were unsuccessful.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, based in Friday Harbor, Washington, has made it a mission to stop illegal whaling off the southern coast of Antarctica, and is best known for targeting Japanese whalers.
Watson, whom critics have likened to a terrorist, features prominently on the Animal Planet television series Whale Wars.
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To see such ridiculous stories put into any media shows that either the editor is ignorant about the context of the story or they are looking for some cheap sensationalist guff to draw attention to their publication and create a story out of the rantings of irrational minds. I'm not an advocate of censorship but some stories need should not see the light of day-this is one of them.
Craig Markby, Australia
It is very sad that Whales have been needlessly destroyed off the South African Coast – anyone who possesses half a brain will be appalled at such a brutal act. Such majestic animals have only one predator, and that is man! However it is the responsibility of the South African Government to be required to seek out and punish the culprits, and I applaud all international efforts to bring this about. What is so tragic is the action of a small minded group of so-called 'Conservationists' to hold South Africa's star Industry to ransom. There is no doubt that all members of South Africa's Wine Industry support the policy of 'Eco Friendly' Farming, together with the on-going benefits to the South African economy. Why would any group wish to punish an Industry that promotes care of its environment in this way? Perhaps it would be better for these 'Conservationists' to enter into a dialogue with, and form an alliance with, the South African Wine Industry, in order to exert real pressure on those that should ensure protection of Whales in South African waters!
Anthony Proctor, Sydney, Australia
Wine is nothing to do with whales. Persons calling for boycotts of wine are laughable! Buy a good South African wine to enjoy. Cheers!
John Trezevant, Belgium
Interesting considering Southern Right, by Anthony Hamilton-Russell, Made consistent donations to the Right Whale Conservation at Walker Bay. It is good to know that the wine industry of South Africa is so strong that the only way to make a mark, is to attempt to retard it. Good job Captain! You have made me proud to share a national heritage with you.(please note Sarcasm).
Abraham Lerner, MA, USA
We at La Motte and Leopards Leap wines in Franschoek are Echo friendly .We do support conservation in South Africa. Dr Rupert started WWF in South Africa and he also started the Peace Parks Foundation. Leopards Leap wines financially support the Cape Leopard trust and their work in the conservation of leopards. , and all the vineyards of La Motte is now organically grown.
Hein Koegelenberg CEO, South Africa
This has nothing to do about wine and it's ridiculous to boycott the wine industry. In a recent television interview on Third Degree, in South Africa Watson admits that the "SSCS had decided to not participate in the rescue attempt because there were no protocols or equipment in place to ensure success. SSCS did not want to be part of a failed rescue where people could point fingers at SSCS and say they had stood by and done nothing."
If you were there and chose not to do anything different than Mike Meyer - then don't point a finger. Noel Ashton, a local cetacean expert, commented: "We had the wrong species [beaching], in the wrong place, at the wrong time... All of those factors came together to produce a scenario that was almost impossible to get right... From what I've heard, and the communication I've had with the different people who made that decision, it looks like they made the right decision at the right time."
Nikki Lordan, South Africa
I think that whatever we can do to prevent the killing of whales should be done. Does the S.African government sanction the killing of whales within their waters? If so all products from S. Africa should be boycotted.
Carolyn Madson
Mr Watson has his sights fixed on the wrong people in this matter. The South African wine industry is arguably the world's most environmentally sensitive, as evidenced by the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative.
The pristine natural vegetation (and associated fauna) under conservation now exceeds the footprint of the Cape's vineyards. In addition, wineries are running huge projects to rehabilitate previously cultivated land and to eradicate alien vegetation. Achievement of Champion status under the BWI programme (as Cloof has) is possibly as onerous as being certified organic.
The BWI programme is already delivering measurable benefits for the environment, just a few years after implementation.
Oscar Foulkes, Darling, South Africa
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