SeaChoice announces sustainable seafood partnership with Federated Co-operatives Limited

March 23, 2010

VANCOUVER – A new collaboration agreement between Western Canadian grocery wholesaler Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) and SeaChoice, a Canada wide sustainable seafood program, will make it easier for co-op customers to buy seafood that’s sourced from environmentally friendly fisheries and aquaculture operations.

Last week FCL announced a commitment to work with SeaChoice to assess their seafood supply against sustainability criteria, improve sustainable seafood procurement, and to educate co-op employees and customers about sustainable seafood options that will help ensure healthy oceans in the future.

“We are very honoured to be working with Federated Co-operatives Limited to help them take action that promotes ocean friendly seafood and minimizes sales of products that harm the marine environment.” said Bill Wareham, SeaChoice Representative and Marine Conservation Specialist for the David Suzuki Foundation. “The future of our oceans depends on initiatives like this that help protect wild fish stocks and the web of life in the marine environments.”

FLC, owned by approximately 260 retail co-ops located throughout Western Canada joins several other Canadian retailers that are committing to help ensure that sustainable seafood products are available and profiled in the marketplace.

Under this new commitment, FCL is working with SeaChoice to develop and implement a six-point sustainability plan for the procurement and sale of seafood in its stores. The retailer has committed to:

• Offering customers sustainable seafood options and reducing procurement of unsustainable seafood.
• Providing transparency and traceability information on seafood products sold at co-op store
• Collecting and sharing information regarding seafood sustainability procurement and sales.
• Educating its employees, suppliers and customers on sustainable seafood
• Encouraging policymakers and seafood producers to improve and develop laws, regulations and certification systems that support the production of environmentally friendly seafood.

“This agreement between SeaChoice and Federated Co-operatives Limited represents another major milestone for our program.” said Shauna McKinnon, SeaChoice Representative for the Living Oceans Society. “Federated Co-operatives Limited is taking a very progressive step by showing how companies can play a significant role in realizing positive change for our oceans.”

As part of its early efforts to implement their sustainable seafood policy, FCL will work to identify seafood options for its customers that meet the SeaChoice green or “Best Choice” list criteria, which can be found online at www.seachoice.org.

Formed in 2006, SeaChoice is a national program that provides science-based sustainability assessments of seafood to Canadian consumers, fishermen, chefs and businesses. More than 850,000 printed copies of the program’s guide to sustainable seafood, Canada’s Seafood Guide, are in circulation across the country.

SeaChoice is an initiative operated by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, David Suzuki Foundation, Ecology Action Centre, Living Oceans Society and Sierra Club BC, working in collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program.

For more information, contact:

Taina Uitto
National Manager, SeaChoice
(604) 685-7445 x 26 (office)

Sutton Eaves
Communications Specialist, David Suzuki Foundation
(778) 829-3265

All news releases