Sustainable Fisheries
At Orca Bay we believe that sustainability is not only critical to our success as a continuing concern in the seafood business but also the right thing to do for our planet and for generations to come. While the eco labeling of sustainable seafood has come to the forefront in the minds of various stakeholders: retailers, foodservice distributors, consumers and NGOs (non-governmental organizations), a clear cut definition of what truly constitutes a sustainable fishery is often vague and varies from entity to entity. Depending upon the messenger, there is inconsistent information concerning the status of seafood stocks, environmental damage due to fishing and aquaculture practices along with confusing and often contradictory reports on the health benefits of seafood consumption. When confronted with a sea of conflicting messages regarding the sustainability of seafood resources it is often difficult and perplexing to make the right decision.
Given these inconsistencies Orca Bay has made a commitment to follow an internationally recognized and independent science based approach to sourcing our products from those companies that adhere to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. In short, the FAO offers the following guidance as to what considerations should be evaluated when determining if a given fishery is sustainable:
FAO Code of Conduct 7.1.1 — States and all those engaged in fisheries management should, through an appropriate policy, legal and institutional framework, adopt measures for the long term conservation and sustainable use of fisheries resources. Conservation and management measures, whether at local, national, subregional or regional levels, should be based on the best scientific evidence available and be designed to ensure the long-term sustainability of fishery resources at levels which promote the objective of their optimum utilization and maintain their availability for present and future generations; short term considerations should not compromise these objectives.
Further information regarding the FAO and the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries can be found at www.fao.org
One of the foundations of any sustainability policy is third party verification of that policy. With that in mind, in 1995 Orca Bay elected to partner with Ocean Trust www.oceantrust.org to provide those consultative review services. Ocean Trust is an award winning ocean conservancy foundation that works to build science, conservation and industry partnerships to promote the sustainability of the oceans and the communities that depend on them. In cooperation with Ocean Trust our purchasing practices are reviewed species by species and we are presented with an annual summary of the most recent scientific assessments and stock status reports in clear language and without bias. Our goal with this approach is to better understand the specific sustainability and environmental issues of each fishery that we source product from and in doing so we hope to participate in finding meaningful and lasting solutions to the individual challenges of each of our product species.
Thankfully we live in a world of choices. We would encourage each of you to embrace this luxury and commit yourself to making informed and passionate choices in hopes that together we can create a better world for the generations to come. The seafood business is ever changing and as such any sustainability policy must reflect an approach and commitment toward continuous improvement. If you have specific questions about Orca Bay and who we are or what we do, just ask.
