Whole Foods Market® & leading scientific organizations simplify seafood sustainability ratings, increase opportunities for r...
June 02 2014 - 2:00PM
Business Wire
Monterey Bay Aquarium and The Safina Center
combine with retailer’s buying power to create consistency for
shoppers, more capacity for research and market opportunities for
responsibly-caught seafood
Brought together through four years of partnership with Whole
Foods Market, the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch® program and
The Safina Center (formerly Blue Ocean Institute) will now use
Monterey Bay Aquarium’s science-based criteria and methodology for
rating the sustainability of wild-caught seafood, offering
consumers consistent recommendations from trustworthy nonprofit
conservation organizations.
Sharing research responsibilities and utilizing the same
criteria and methodology also means that Monterey Bay Aquarium
(MBA) and The Safina Center (TSC) have a greater capacity to
evaluate a larger number of species and fisheries. The more species
that are rated, the more seafood choices retailers like Whole Foods
Market can offer.
Increasing the availability of “Best Choice” (green) or “Good
Alternative” (yellow) options in the seafood case has a positive
effect on our oceans and fishing communities. Fishermen from
fisheries that earn these ratings through responsible practices
have an avenue into the sustainable seafood marketplace. In this
way, the ratings program provides an economic incentive to fish
responsibly and helps shift the seafood industry toward greater
sustainability.
“Whole Foods Market has excelled as a leader in seafood
sustainability because partners like MBA and TSC provide us with
the latest science on the most abundant species and the best
managed fisheries,” said David Pilat, global seafood buyer for
Whole Foods Market. “They share our commitment to the highest
standards and continual improvement, so this collaboration will
streamline all our efforts to keep driving change in the
industry.”
The methodology, developed by MBA with input from TSC and other
stakeholders, evaluates the same main criteria as Safina Center’s
previous ratings, including the abundance of fish populations, the
impacts of fishing, and how well the process of fishing is
controlled and managed. Other critical factors evaluated include
whether the fishing method targets only the intended species, or if
any other species are caught in the process (known as bycatch), as
well as the impact of fishing gear on the habitat. Assessments are
robust, peer-reviewed and transparent.
“Streamlining our research with the Monterey Bay Aquarium helps
us know the sustainability status of more species of fish. Whole
Foods Market turns that knowledge into buying power and market
influence,” said Carl Safina, founding president of The Safina
Center. “There’s a real impact on the water when retailers like
Whole Foods Market source responsibly caught seafood, creating an
economic reward for fisheries to improve their ratings.”
Combining the scientific expertise of MBA and TSC with the
consumer insight of Whole Foods Market also helps the organizations
prioritize research on the most impactful seafood issues. The
company provides input on regional favorites, seasonal items and
household staples to help determine which species to evaluate,
ultimately giving consumers a greater number of choices and driving
demand for seafood coming from responsible fisheries.
“Our collaboration with The Safina Center will maximize our
ability to provide retailers like Whole Foods Market with robust
and consistent seafood recommendations from a diversity of sources,
ultimately rewarding better performing fisheries,” said Jennifer
Dianto Kemmerly, Seafood Watch director at Monterey Bay
Aquarium.
Whole Foods Market is fully transparent about the sustainability
status of the seafood offered in stores. The company’s policy is to
source as much seafood certified by the Marine Stewardship Council
(MSC) as possible. When MSC-certified options are not available,
customers use the sustainability ratings from MBA and The Safina
Center to choose green- and yellow-rated options. Whole Foods
Market removed all red-rated seafood from stores in 2012. Red
ratings indicate that the species is overfished, poorly managed, or
caught in ways cause harm to habitats or other wildlife.
Critical to delivering on the promise of sustainable seafood is
Whole Foods Market’s strict traceability requirements, which ensure
that all items in the seafood case – both wild-caught and farmed –
can be traced through the supply chain. In every step between the
water and the store, Whole Foods Market suppliers and distribution
centers log more than 20 fields of information about every piece of
seafood. Additionally, the Marine Stewardship Council certification
requires rigorous chain of custody requirements. These
comprehensive systems provide full traceability so customers can be
assured that all seafood offered at Whole Foods Market meets the
stated standards.
Whole Foods MarketMcKinzey Crossland,
512-542-0117mckinzey.crossland@wholefoods.com
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