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Holista Shark Cartilage Capsules - A Bitter Pill to Swallow
Tuesday, 21 Apr, 2009
Holista Shark Cartilage Capsules - A Bitter Pill to Swallow
Holista Health Inc. sells health supplements-including shark cartilage capsules-on a large scale in stores across North America, including Costco, Shoppers Drug Mart, WalMart, etc. It was recently brought to Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's attention that Holista may not be aware of the 
severe negative impacts this product has on the health of our oceans, and potentially the health of its own customers.
Sea Shepherd Founder & President, Captain Paul Watson, and Director of Shark Conservation, Kim McCoy, have written a letter to the management of Holista, explaining Sea Shepherd's position on sharks and respectfully requesting that Holista cease the production and sales of all shark cartilage products immediately. Along with this letter, Sea Shepherd has included a copy of the award-winning documentary Sharkwater and a stack of shark defense brochures.
Read Sea Shepherd's letter to Holista: 
PDF
Holista has the opportunity to establish itself as a leader in the industry-by exercising compassion and making a wise choice that will serve its customers well. With your help, we hope to persuade Holista to do the right thing for the sharks and for the overall health of our planet.
Please write to Holista TODAY to voice your concerns about shark cartilage capsules and politely request that they remove these capsules from their product line immediately. You may write your own letter, or feel free to cut and paste from our sample letter, below:
| To Whom It May Concern: I am writing to respectfully request-both for the health of our oceans and the health of your customers-that Holista Health Inc. discontinue the production and sales of all health supplements containing shark products: namely, your Shark Cartilage capsules. I simply cannot understand how the consumption of another species' cartilage could possibly be construed as a healthy or intelligent thing to do. The claims made on your product label and in your brochure on "natural solutions for joint care" are speculative and not rooted in scientific fact. The notion that consuming shark cartilage "may" do everything from treating rheumatoid arthritis or joint disease to preventing tumor growth is absurd and highly controversial within the scientific community. To the contrary, sharks contain high quantities of toxic mercury-which likely explains why your product contains a disclaimer cautioning against feeding these capsules to children or taking them while pregnant or breastfeeding. As apex predators who have inhabited our oceans for over 400 million years, sharks are vital to the health of the global ecosystem and are deserving of far greater respect than to be ripped from the oceans and ground into powder for capsules that offer no proven health benefits, and in fact may even be poisoning those who consume them. Shark populations are being depleted at a rate that is shocking and completely unsustainable. An estimated 100 million sharks are killed each year for the sake of greed and profit-whether as targeted species or as by catch from other fisheries. These death rates far exceed the reproductive capabilities of sharks, and in recent years, 90% of the world's large sharks have been decimated. The environmental ramifications of this impending extinction are quite serious-and a tragic legacy to pass on to our children. Your website states that: "Holista uses only top quality, fully-tested raw materials from reputable suppliers, in fact wherever possible we 'grow our own'." As a consumer, I strongly object to this statement, as there is simply no such thing as a "reputable supplier" of sharks, and with all due respect, I highly doubt that you are able to "grow your own." If Holista truly cares about the quality of your products, the health of your customers, and the health of marine ecosystems globally-as I hope that you do-you will agree that sharks belong in the oceans, in which they play a fundamental role, and not inside a gelatin capsule. As such, I respectfully request that you cease production and sales of all Shark Cartilage capsules immediately. If you would be willing to publicly announce that you will be removing all shark products from your line of dietary supplements, I believe that Holista will gain international publicity as a company of great integrity, one that is genuinely sensitive to and concerned for the health of our planet and its customers. Should you agree, I would be delighted to help spread the word to my personal network of family, friends, and colleagues (all of whom are potential Holista customers) about Holista's true commitment to health-for all inhabitants of this planet. Sincerely, [INSERT YOUR NAME & CONTACT INFO HERE] |
Please call, fax, email, and/or mail your comments to the following:
Holista Health Inc.
2000 Brigantine Drive
Coquitlam, BC V3K 7B5
CANADA
Toll Free Telephone: 1-800-204-4372
Toll Free Fax: 1-888-668-4252
info@holista.ca
export@holista.ca
You may also submit comments via the contact form on Holista's own website at:
http://www.holista.ca/contact/