The last time you ate seafood at a restaurant did you consider that what showed up on your plate may not have been what you ordered? Chances are the potential for seafood fraud never crossed your mind, but it should have.
Seafood fraud is a common and profitable practice that not only compromises retailers, foodservice professionals and consumers, it also threatens our oceans and human health.
The Peru Mahi Alliance (PMA), a pre-competitive partnership of 13 Peruvian mahi mahi companies, will be launched officially on March 14th at the Seafood Expo North America (SENA) in Boston, with the presence of major U.S. buyer companies. PMA represents almost 80% of Peru’s mahi mahi exports to the US and is committed to advancing the Peru mahi mahi Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) through activity implementation, political advocacy efforts, and funding.
Seafood buyers can now access the WWF Endangered Seafood Guide to at-risk freshwater and marine species in seafood procurement in four different languages. In addition to the original English version, Spanish, Japanese, and Chinese editions are available for free to download. The goal is to help global seafood industry identify and remove problematic species from their supply chains.
From his port city of Nha Trang in Vietnam on the South China Sea, we interviewed Stephen Reiss Fisher, Sustainability Director at Sea Delight on the value of joining the sustainability movement, supporting fisheries in transition, and what trends he is seeing from his work at the heart of global seafood supply chain. In 2009, Sea Delight made a commitment to sustainability and created a public company-wide policy. As part of that, Sea Delight continues to assess its seafood purchases again some of the most robust certifications like the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The company is also supporting fisheries on their journey toward sustainability by sourcing products from over a dozen Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs), including Peru and Ecuador mahi-mahi and Vietnam Handline Tuna FIPs.
Sysco recently released its 2021 corporate social responsibility report highlighting progress against its 2025 seafood sustainability commitment announced earlier this year in partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The report confirms that the company is already making important progress in meeting the new commitment, after expanding its seafood sustainability program earlier this year to include Sysco US and Canada Broadline, and US Specialty company lines of business. This report was also an occasion for Sysco to unveil its brand-new science-based climate change goals.
Plastic waste pollutes every corner of the ocean, threatens aquatic wildlife, and even ends up in the seafood we buy and eat. Despite growing awareness, the problem continues to get worse. Ghost gear is one of the deadliest forms of marine plastic debris, given it is one of the most damaging types of marine plastic pollution for both species and habitats. Ghost gear can continue to catch species unselectively for years, potentially decimating important food resources as well as endangered species, such as marine mammals, seabirds, sharks, and turtles.
While the unattended consequences of plastic use are finally beginning to receive the attention they warrant, the impacts of ghost gear are less visible and understood. Increasingly, companies are becoming interested in learning more about this problem and can now engage to be part of a solution to stop ghost gear.
Seafood buyers are under increasing pressure to assess and address human rights risks throughout their value chains. In May, FisheryProgress (FP) launched a new Human Rights and Social Responsibility Policy following conversations amongst stakeholders in the seafood movement about improving social responsibility in Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs). The new policy aims to reduce human and labor rights abuse risks within FIPs and to provide a common framework for reporting on social performance in fisheries.
Building on a decade-long partnership with WWF to drive more sustainable seafood sourcing, Kroger is restating their commitment to increasing seafood sustainability by launching a new, more comprehensive Seafood Sustainability Policy. As the nation’s largest grocer and a leading purchaser of seafood, Kroger’s new policy has the potential to drive even greater impact on wild-caught and farmed seafood systems.
Building on progress achieved on its 2020 seafood sustainability goals, Kroger reaffirms their leadership in the sector by extending commitments to source more sustainable and responsible seafood, including shelf-stable tuna. Their aspiration is to source 100% of the seafood in their fresh and frozen departments from fisheries and farms.
Are you interested in learning how to implement or engage in Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs), but feel concerned about increasing travel restrictions or have no time to attend lengthy conferences and workshops abroad? No worries. WWF in collaboration with several other organizations have developed an online FIP training platform that provides fishery stakeholders worldwide with the necessary knowledge and skills to transition fisheries toward sustainability
Seafood is one of the most globally traded food commodities, and demand for it continues to rise. As a result, levels of fishing in many areas of the world are becoming increasingly unsustainable, and the list of endangered marine and freshwater species grows ever longer. Companies are increasingly willing to work with governments and conservation groups to shift the seafood market toward more sustainable and responsible sourcing. At the same time, though, some companies have yet to ban endangered species from their supply chains—a bare minimum requirement on the path to sustainability.
