Hyatt
Hotels Corporation (NYSE:H) announced today a global initiative to
increase procurement of responsibly sourced seafood at Hyatt hotels,
starting with an initial goal of responsibly sourcing more than 50
percent of their inventory by 2018. As a part of this effort, Hyatt will
also work toward purchasing more than 15 percent of its seafood supply
from fisheries or farms that have been certified by the Marine
Stewardship Council (MSC) or the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC).
This is the first phase of a long-term seafood sustainability strategy
in partnership with World
Wildlife Fund (WWF), a leading global conservation organization, to
build on Hyatt’s existing environmental stewardship. The partnership
also focuses on enhancing the sustainability of seafood sourcing at
Hyatt hotels by eliminating the procurement of highly vulnerable seafood
species.
“We are deeply focused on improving the health of our planet and our
communities by implementing sustainable practices, and we hope that this
effort to responsibly source more than 50 percent of seafood purchased
by our hotels by 2018 will set a new standard for the hospitality
industry,” said Mark Hoplamazian, President and CEO of Hyatt Hotels
Corporation. “Not only is fishing an important livelihood in many of the
communities where Hyatt hotels operate, but many people around the world
rely on fish as a primary source of protein, making it essential to help
protect the world’s oceans. As we continue to live out our mission of
making a difference in the lives of the people we touch every day, and
demonstrate care in everything we do, these overarching goals and
call-to-action show our dedication to acting responsibly and doing what
is best for our colleagues, guests, and owners.”
After a year-long engagement with WWF and an assessment of global
seafood procurement processes at Hyatt hotels, Hyatt has identified the
following initiatives to improve the sustainability of Hyatt hotels’
seafood sourcing practices and standards:
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Hyatt will focus on the procurement of responsibly sourced farmed and
wild-caught seafood at Hyatt hotels globally, with an initial emphasis
on key species such as salmon, shrimp, grouper, Chilean sea bass, and
tuna. This will include a clear preference for seafood sourced from
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council
(ASC) certified fisheries and farms and those involved in Fishery or
Aquaculture Improvement Projects. Hyatt will also identify other
sustainable sources of seafood in collaboration with WWF.
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A complete ban on the consumption and procurement of shark fin at all
Hyatt restaurants and food and beverage outlets globally. This builds
on Hyatt’s commitment in 2012 to remove shark fin from all restaurant
menus. Any banquets and event bookings made before May 15,
2014 that include shark fin will be honored.
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In addition to banning shark fin, Hyatt will seek to reduce and
systematically eliminate sourcing of other highly vulnerable seafood
species identified by WWF.
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Hyatt colleagues involved in food and beverage offerings at the
company’s owned and managed full service hotels will participate in a
comprehensive sustainable seafood training program developed in
collaboration with WWF.
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Hyatt will measure global performance and progress of these efforts
with the support of WWF analysis and recommendations.
“Despite a growing momentum to conserve sharks, catch rates remain far
too high in most shark fisheries, and populations, particularly of the
larger species, continue to drop,” said Dr. Andy Cornish, Global Shark
Program Leader, WWF. “Reducing demand in consumer markets in Asia for
shark fin is a critically important part of the equation to arrest the
declines, and Hyatt’s great example of corporate leadership will make
all the difference.”
“Hyatt has the opportunity to set a new standard for the industry and
play a critical role in showing demand for responsibly sourced seafood,”
said Caroline Tippett, Director of Seafood Engagement, WWF. “We look
forward to working with Hyatt in an effort to ensure more sustainable
sourcing through global buying practices at Hyatt hotels and through its
training efforts for its colleagues worldwide. Hyatt’s ban on shark fin
from food and beverage offerings will also help protect valuable shark
species that are crucial for maintaining the health of our marine
ecosystems.”
The collaboration represents Hyatt’s ongoing effort to further its
industry-leading food and beverage philosophy, Food.
Thoughtfully Sourced. Carefully Served, which is focused on
providing food and beverage options that are good for people, the
planet, and local communities around the world. It also ties into
Hyatt’s corporate responsibility platform, Hyatt
Thrive, which focuses on making local communities around the world
places where colleagues are proud to work, where guests want to visit,
where neighbors want to live and where owners want to invest.
The term “Hyatt” is used in this release for convenience to refer to
Hyatt Hotels Corporation and/or one or more of its affiliates.
About Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, headquartered in Chicago, is a leading global
hospitality company with a proud heritage of making guests feel more
than welcome. Thousands of members of the Hyatt family strive to make a
difference in the lives of the guests they encounter every day by
providing authentic hospitality. The Company's subsidiaries manage,
franchise, own and develop hotels and resorts under the Hyatt®,
Park Hyatt®, Andaz®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt
House®, Hyatt Zilara™ and Hyatt
Ziva™ brand names and have locations on
six continents. Hyatt Residential Group, Inc., a Hyatt
Hotels Corporation subsidiary, develops, operates, markets or
licenses Hyatt Residences® and Hyatt Residence Club®.
As of June 30, 2014, the Company's worldwide portfolio consisted of 563
properties in 48 countries. For more information, please visit www.hyatt.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Forward-Looking Statements in this press release, which are not
historical facts, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our actual
results, performance or achievements may differ materially from those
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differ materially from current expectations include, among others, the
rate and pace of economic recovery following economic downturns; levels
of spending in business and leisure segments as well as consumer
confidence; declines in occupancy and average daily rate; if our
third-party owners, franchisees or development partners are unable to
access the capital necessary to fund current operations or implement our
plans for growth; changes in the competitive environment in our industry
and the markets where we operate; our ability to access the capital
markets; and other risks discussed in the Company's filings with the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on
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