Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls, Fish Conservationists Tell Jeep
Jeep has found itself in hot water with a US fish conservation group after running an advert showing a new Wrangler bashing its way through a shallow lake and up a waterfall.
Trout Unlimited (no, really) says there was something fishy about the adverts, which it says ‘glorified’ the destruction of fish breeding grounds. The 300,000-member group’s president and CEO, Chris Wood, said:
“Fish are tough and resilient critters, but they don’t do well with several-thousand-pound vehicles driving over their spawning grounds, tearing up the gravel where they lay eggs.
“Why someone would want to put out the idea that you should buy a Jeep so you could drive it up a creek is incomprehensible to me.”
Perhaps “because it’s fun” is the wrong answer for the occasion, or even the wider times we live in. Jeep’s advert, which ran during the recent Super Bowl game, showed a new Wrangler splashing gaily through standing water before effortlessly climbing up the stepped waterfall on the other side of the lake. Environmental concerns aside, it’s quite a good avert.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ head of marketing communication, Diane Morgan, apparently didn’t say exactly where the footage was shot, but claimed it was private land in the US south west.
Clearly, the wilful destruction of wildlife habitats is a sensitive subject, though, whether it’s the Amazon rainforest or a pond in Arizona. Mr Wood added:
“Hopefully something good will come of this and we can begin a dialogue with Jeep to promote smart use of off-road vehicles as well as conservation of natural resources.”
Source: MSN
Comments
How about a compromise: drive slowly through a river, so the little precious fishes can move away.
I know Jeep’s gonna have it their way or nothing at all, but I think they’re moving too fast.
I tought it was impossible to be this retarded…then they appear
A salmon, a bear and a Jeep Wrangler walked into an auto shop…
Even in the ad they do make a note of saying its not a real creek/lake/waterfall and that its man made. The else do they want?
I actually agree with Trout Unlimited .It is Jeep’s fault . Everyone knows that off roaders are used to conquer the local shopping centre’s parking lot and for school runs .
Oh god here we are again, my home country and their BS. I wanna move some times.
Conservationists are stupid
“Closed man-made lake and waterfall. Always follow applicable law”. Huh.
As per why. Well, it’s a Jeep that’s Jeeping. The whole point of the Wrangler is it’s off-road capabilities. As long as rivers most rivers are, I would think the likelihood of a single Jeep doing any great harm to the habitat of fish is likely minimal to begin with.
Maybe because a huge amount of off-road trails go across creeks that you’re fully expected to ford with your vehicle.