WASHINGTON, Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Internet giant Amazon.com appears to have removed all whale products from its wholly owned Japanese website overnight following worldwide publicity that scores of whale products were offered for sale.

A new campaign launched yesterday by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and Humane Society International (HSI), revealed that Amazon Japan, the wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon Inc, not only sells products from endangered and protected whale species, but also products containing dangerous levels of mercury.

Worldwide publicity followed the release of the EIA report Amazon.com's Unpalatable Profits and tens of thousands of people have taken via Twitter, Facebook, HSI's online petition and sending protest emails to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

"We welcome Amazon's action to remove whale products from its Japanese website but urge Amazon to confirm it will enact a company-wide ban on the sale of all products derived from whales, dolphins or porpoises," said Allan Thornton, President of the Environmental Investigation Agency.

Kitty Block, Vice President of Humane Society International said: "In just 24 hours, more than 35,000 HSI supporters have appealed to Amazon for a total ban on the sale of whale, dolphin and porpoise products.  The public wants these animals protected rather than killed and sold for profit. "

Interviews and images are available on request: please contact:

• Allan Thornton, EIA President via allanthornton@eia-global.org or telephone 202 483 6621
• Katie Jarl, HSI Media Contact, kjarl@humanesociety.org or telephone 301- 258 1483

 

 

SOURCE Environmental Investigation Agency

Back to top