Several Swedish health store chains have halted sales of omega-3 pills after a TV magazine has showed that fish used for the capsules originates in occupied Western Sahara.
An earlier program from “Uppdrag granskning” (“Mission: Under scrutiny”) had showed how the owner of one of Sweden’s largest fishing vessels had taken advantage of the newly established ITQ system to sell his Swedish quotas, then flag it out to Cook Islands in the South Pacific, only to continue fishing off the coast of Western Sahara under a private deal with the Moroccan government.
Western Sahara, originally a Spanish colony, has been occupied by Morocco since 1975. The UN Security Council adopted a peace plan in 1991, but little has happened since, and few nations have recognised Morocco’s sovereignty claim as legitimate. International law forbids trade with goods from occupied territories unless proceeds go to the population there, and many experts have questioned Morocco’s practices in this case.
The new installment of the program showed how fish caught in those waters by Scandinavian vessels under convenience flag was processed into fish oil by a Norwegian company, then capsuled and bottled in Norway and exported to other Scandinavian markets, including Sweden.
Several health food chain representatives interviewed said they were sure their suppliers did not provide products originating in Western Sahara, but after the investigative reporters had shown evidence to the contrary, they published statements that they would take measures to ensure compliance with international law or, in some cases, halt sales entirely until it could be proved that the fish used did not come from these waters.
Consumption in Sweden of omega-3 products has sky-rocketed in recent years after the heart-friendly effects of those fatty acids have been widely publicised. Since no notable increase in fish consumption has been seen, it is obvious that most omega-3 is taken as pills or capsules.
According to “Uppdrag granskning”, some 600 sardines are needed to produce one box of capsules. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has said that 250 million Africans suffer from malnutrition; one sardine corresponds to the daily ration of protein a child would need.