Yesterday they were defacing Canadian grocery stores and today they’re bragging about it on the internet. Well, someone from Greenpeace is bragging about it– the poor misguided foot soldiers who were arrested for their role in the ineffective and dangerous stunt aren’t so much bragging as they are testifying. Yea, for them it’s not so much a celebration today as it is a deposition.

But their brethren in the cause are out promoting their efforts, not very effectively I might add. And as part of that promotion they’re exposing the ludicrous and arbitrary application of stock assessments that they apparently just make up in an effort to build their red list.

Here’s an example. Greenpeace says, “to get ‘redlisted’ a species must be in serious trouble, usually defined as facing a 90% reduction in numbers.”

Now let’s go through a few of the redlisted species they’re talking about and take a look at how sustainability oversight organizations describe the stocks:

• New Zealand hoki — From Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) : The New Zealand hoki fishery recertified to the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) [1] environmental standard for well managed and sustainable fisheries.
• Greenland halibut (turbot) — From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): Greenland turbot populations are healthy; no overfishing is occurring.”
• Atlantic sea scallops — From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): Atlantic sea scallop population levels are high; overfishing is not occurring.
• Swordfish — From the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA): U.S. North Atlantic swordfish population levels are high and overfishing is not currently occurring on the stock. Populations of swordfish in the Pacific are very healthy. Pacific swordfish is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring.

There isn’t a 90% reduction in any of those stocks but they’re still on the red list.

Look for Greenpeace’s fish’n’pony show to make its way to a grocery store in the U.S. near you.