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Here is Lush's press release:

For Immediate Release

August 22, 2011

LUSH Press Office Contact:

Brandi Halls, 917.324.8570, Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist gegen Spambots geschützt! JavaScript muss aktiviert werden, damit sie angezeigt werden kann.

LUSH Cosmetics makes waves with campaign to end shark fin trade

New York – As the world’s shark populations teeter on the brink of extinction due to the global demand for shark fin soup and other shark products, LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics in partnership with Shark Savers, launches a global campaign to protect these crucially important marine animals. This campaign is running at all LUSH’s locations in North America. 

For one week starting August 22^nd, LUSH is inviting the public down to its North American stores to sign petitions to their local government officials, demanding that they outlaw the possession, sale, trade, and distribution of shark fins. In partnership with marine conservation organization Shark Savers, LUSH is also asking the public to pledge not to eat shark fin soup. And in a dramatic illustration of how sharks are caught on longlines and slaughtered for their fins, a LUSH employee will be suspended by shark hooks inside a San Francisco LUSH store on Wednesday, August 24^th at 12pm PST (images available upon request).

To further efforts, LUSH has created a limited edition product, Shark Fin Soap ($5.95) with 100% of the proceeds going to Shark Savers’ work to raise awareness for shark conservation. This ocean inspired soap, with its decorative paper fin, is packed with seaweed and sea salt and will be available at www.lushusa.com and at LUSH stores across North America for the duration of the campaign.

Sharks have survived for 450 million years but many species are now threatened with extinction. Tens of millions of sharks are killed each year to serve the global shark fin trade. While shark fin soup is the primary cause for the slaughter, sharks are also killed for their flesh, cartilage and for their oil, which can be used in cosmetics. The growing demand for shark fin soup has increased the slaughter of sharks to such a great extent that many shark populations have declined by over 90% in just a few decades. Sharks have shaped marine life in the oceans for hundreds of millions of years and are essential to the health of our oceans, which are the lifeblood of our planet.

"Shark fin soup provides no real benefit to people but has been devastating to sharks and the oceans. Sharks are too important to let this continue,” says Michael Skoletsky, Executive Director of Shark Savers. “Shark Savers' Ban the Fin campaign enables people throughout the United States and Canada to work towards banning the shark fin trade in their communities.” 

“With shark populations being decimated, the situation is dire. As a company that cares about people, animals and the planet, we are taking a stand to stop this slaughter before it’s too late,” says Brandi Halls, LUSH Campaigns Manager. “Each of us has the ability to bring about real change, to protect sharks and ultimately our marine ecosystems – the time to act is now.”

For more information on the campaign please visit www.lush.com/stopsharkfinning or www.sharksavers.org. 

Notes to the editor:

• Research indicates that each year, the fins of tens of millions of sharks are slaughtered, with their fins entering the shark fin trade.* 
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently reported that 1/3 of shark species are threatened with extinction. In the high seas, the situation is even worse, with 52% of shark species in danger of extinction.*
• In some regions of the world, such as the Mediterranean, parts of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, shark populations have seen a 90% decrease in their numbers.* 
• Shark fins account for 40% of the global market value of shark trade. + 

• In 2009,the global production of shark products was worth US $310 million globally.+
• Established 16 years ago, LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics has been driven by innovation and its ethics. Creators of pioneering beauty products such as the fizzing bath bombs, bubble bars, and solid shampoo bars, LUSH places emphasis on fresh ingredients like organic fruits and vegetables and the finest essential oils. LUSH operates a strict policy against animal testing, supports Fair Trade and Community Trade initiatives, and leads the cosmetics industry in combating over-packaging by developing products that can be sold ‘naked’ to the consumer. LUSH products are 100 percent vegetarian, 81 percent vegan, 69 percent preservative-free and 44 percent free of wasteful packaging with absolutely no animal testing being done on LUSH products or ingredients. These ethics are at the heart of the brand and will remain there with every new shop that opens globally. LUSH has 139 locations in North America with over 700 worldwide in over 42 countries. Visit www.lushusa.com for more information.
• Shark Savers is a non-profit organization that campaigns to curb demand for shark fin soup, create safe havens for sharks, and advocate on the behalf of sharks. Shark Savers leverages the power of the diving and conservation communities to save sharks so that they may continue their 400 million year contribution toward the healthy balance of ocean ecosystems.www.sharksavers.org.
• Petitions to ban the shark fin trade:
  • California: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/banthefin-AB376/
  • United States, excl. California: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/banthefin-US/
  • Canada: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/banthefin-CA/

Sources:

* www.sharksavers.org/en/learn-more/sharks-are-being-driven-to-extinction.html

+ “Bleeding the Oceans Dry?” at www.wildaid.org