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.
![](http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=bwnews&sty=20140602005508r1&sid=ntxv4&distro=nx&lang=en)
Copyright Business Wire 2014