SUSTAINABILITY DEFINED
Everyone throws around the word “Sustainable” these days, so what does it really mean?
People often mean different things when they say “sustainable” and some of those meanings are less sustainable than others. So, let’s give you a very clear understanding of what we mean when we talk about our dedication to sustainable seafood.
To start, a LOT people around the world depend on seafood as their primary source of protein (around 3 billion to put it into perspective). With nearly half the world's population dependent our oceans’ supply, we must engage in processes that can be sustained in the long run.
Here’s the good news. Seafood is an inherently sustainable food source. It’s an animal protein that does not consume water and produces nearly zero carbon dioxide. Seafood also doesn’t put further pressure on limited farming resources by not using arable land for crops (land ploughed or tilled regularly under a system of crop rotation). While other animals use up limited land resources, the aquaculture used for seafood can easily and comfortably meet the global seafood demand for 9 billion people. That’s sustainability to us and we’re still continuing to improve upon our best-practices.
Understanding the Primary Aspects of Sustainable Seafood
Now you have a good idea of why sustainable seafood is one of our highest priorities. But what are some of the details involved? We’re glad you’re still curious.
There are three primary aspects of sustainable seafood that we focus on: Freshwater Aquaculture, Marine Aquaculture and Sustainable Fisheries. With over half of the global aquaculture coming from freshwater, we make sure to only work with partners who engage in models that ensure stringent control of water resources. The second aspect of sustainability we focus on is marine aquaculture—where we commit to a production of marine seafood species that avoids pressures on the wild resource. We also focus on the aspect of sustainable fisheries, which is guided by the belief that fishing practices must continually adapt to the reproductive rate of fish while maintaining a healthy level of wild fish stocks.
The Three Pillars of Sustainability
The way we enact sustainability should allow us to satisfy our current needs without placing pressure on future generations to meet their own. Our approach to sustainability is dynamic and considers three main areas: Economic, Environmental and Social. We also refer to these three areas as people, planet and profits.
1. Economic
While part of our approach to sustainability includes ensuring that our family business can survive and grow, we also make sure to never place profits over Environmental and Social considerations. We believe that by dedicating ourselves to the planet and its people, we will also find sustainable profits for our business—including the profits of everyone we partner with.
2. Environmental
The area that tends to get the most attention when talking about sustainability is the environment or the planet. And for good reason. As we mentioned earlier, environmental sustainability is a major priority for us. We commit ourselves to constantly innovating towards reducing our carbon footprints, water usage, and the overall impact on the environment. For these reasons, we have committed ourselves to bring you seafood that meets and works toward this criteria, and agree with the many experts who cite seafood as the future of sustainable food.
3. Social
As a family-owned business, we care deeply about the health and wellbeing of our immediate family and our employees. But we also commit to caring deeply for our extended family—the dedicated fisherman and family-owned businesses we partner with globally. We are guided by a sincere loyalty to the people and communities behind the seafood that we supply and that you consume. We foster meaningful, lasting relationships rather than merely business transactions.
