Retailer Snapshot

Environmental Sustainability Commitment. METRO’s Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture policy is based on five principles: (1) healthy species, (2) responsible operating methods, (3) traceability of products (4) respect for workers and (5) socioeconomic development. METRO’s policy applies to all of the seafood products sold in eight of its nine store banners. METRO requires its suppliers to sign its policy to uphold its commitment to sustainability and supports its policy with a clear and effective traceability system to document the supply chain from the fishing zone or farm, to the consumer. METRO verifies that its sustainability commitment is being upheld by conducting random DNA testing and verification, frequent product traceability tests and random checks on suppliers’ chain of custody records.  In 2020, METRO announced that it had met its goal of 100% of its private brand canned tuna meeting its criteria for sustainable fisheries, 100% of its private brand farmed salmon products being BAP certified, and that 97% of its private brand farmed shrimp products (by volume) were BAP certified (the other 3% are certified organic). 

Social Responsibility Commitment. METRO’s commitment to social responsibility includes clear objectives, expectations for seafood suppliers, a clear and effective traceability policy and a timeline for meeting the commitment.

Scope of Commitment. See below for information on which types of products are included in the scope of METRO’s sustainable fisheries and aquaculture policy.

Grocery store brands: Owned and controlled by METRO
Seafood company brands: Owned by companies that supply many retailers
No brand: Fresh and frozen seafood packaged without branding

WHAT CAN CONSUMERS DO TO HELP?

Take action!

METRO is well on its way towards best practice, but there is still important work to be done. Retailers listen closely to what YOU have to say. Leverage that power to drive important changes throughout the supply chain!

Select a topic to ADVOCATE for METRO to improve.

Transparency

Select your communication method of choice below and take action!

Social Media

Facebook

  1. Copy your message of choice below (or draft your own)
  2. Go to METRO Ontario’s Facebook page (or search for your local METRO store’s page).
  3. Paste your message (be sure to tag SeaChoice!) and post.

“According to METRO’s #SeafoodProgress profile, you share a list of your private label products procured with region and gear type with the public, but do not disclose this information on your seafood brand products. As your customer, I would like to see METRO disclose this information on ALL the products that are covered under your commitment. @seachoice www.seachoice.org/retailer/metro/“

Instagram

  1. Copy the message below (or draft your own). 
  2. Paste your message in a new post on Instagram (be sure to tag SeaChoice!), include a photo of your choosing and post.

“According to METRO’s #SeafoodProgress profile, they share a list of their private label products procured with region and gear type with the public, but do not disclose this information on their seafood brand products. As someone who shops at METRO, I would like to see them disclose this information on ALL the products that are covered under their commitment. @seachoice www.seachoice.org/retailer/metro/“

Twitter

  1. Copy the tweet below (or write your own).
  2. Go to Twitter.
  3. Paste your tweet (be sure to tag SeaChoice!) and post.

“.@MetroOntario, according to your #SeafoodProgress profile you share the catch region and gear type of some of your seafood products with the public. As your customer, I would like to see METRO disclose this on ALL the products that are covered under your commitment. @seachoice”

Email

  1. Go to METRO’s Contact Us page and select your province.
  2. In the ‘Choose a Subject’ drop down, select ‘General question or comment.’
  3. Fill in all the fields that are marked with an asterisk (*). If you don’t want to include your phone number and availability, write N/A in these fields. 
  4. Copy and paste the message below into the ‘Your message’ field. 

Attention: Serge Boulanger, Senior Vice President, National Procurement and Corporate Brands

Hi there,

I shop at METRO and recently reviewed your company profile on Seafood Progress. I was pleased to learn that you share a list of your private label products procured with region and gear type with the public through the Freshness You Can Trace platform. However, I was disappointed to learn that you do not disclose this information on your seafood brand products. As your customer, I would like to see METRO disclose this information on ALL the products that are covered under your commitment.

Thanks for your consideration.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Phone

  1. Call METRO’s Customer Service line at 1-877-763-7374.
  2. Select 1 for Ontario or 2 for Quebec, and then select 4 to connect with a Customer Care Agent. Once connected, speak to the message above in your own words.
Supporting Industry Improvements

Select your communication method of choice below and take action!

Social Media

Facebook

  1. Copy your message of choice below (or draft your own)
  2. Go to METRO Ontario’s Facebook page (or search for your local METRO store’s page).
  3. Paste your message (be sure to tag SeaChoice!) and post.

“According to METRO’s #SeafoodProgress profile, METRO preferentially sources skipjack tuna from fisheries ranked Green by Seafood Watch. As your customer, I think that METRO should ONLY be selling Green ranked (or equivalent) skipjack tuna in its stores! @seachoice www.seachoice.org/retailer/metro/“

Instagram

  1. Copy the message below (or draft your own). 
  2. Paste your message in a new post on Instagram (be sure to tag SeaChoice!), include a photo of your choosing and post.

“According to METRO’s #SeafoodProgress profile, they preferentially source skipjack tuna from fisheries ranked Green by Seafood Watch. As someone who shops at METRO, I think they should ONLY be selling Green ranked (or equivalent) skipjack tuna in their stores! @seachoice www.seachoice.org/retailer/metro/“

Twitter

  1. Copy the tweet below (or write your own).
  2. Go to Twitter.
  3. Paste your tweet (be sure to tag SeaChoice!) and post.

“.@MetroOntraio, according to your #SeafoodProgress profile METRO tries to source skipjack tuna from fisheries ranked Green by Seafood Watch where possible. As your customer, I think METRO should ONLY be selling Green ranked (or equivalent) skipjack tuna in its stores! @seachoice”

Email

  1. Go to METRO’s Contact Us page and select your province.
  2. In the ‘Choose a Subject’ drop down, select ‘General question or comment.’
  3. Fill in all the fields that are marked with an asterisk (*). If you don’t want to include your phone number and availability, write N/A in these fields. 
  4. Copy and paste the message below into the ‘Your message’ field. 

Attention: Serge Boulanger, Senior Vice President, National Procurement and Corporate Brands

Hi there,

I shop at METRO and recently reviewed your company profile on Seafood Progress. I was pleased to learn that METRO preferentially sources skipjack tuna from fisheries ranked Green by Seafood Watch. However, as your customer, I think that METRO should ONLY be selling Green ranked (or equivalent) skipjack tuna in its stores.

Thanks for your consideration.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Phone

  1. Call METRO’s Customer Service line at 1-877-763-7374.
  2. Select 1 for Ontario or 2 for Quebec, and then select 4 to connect with a Customer Care Agent. Once connected, speak to the message above in your own words.

Another way to take action is to let retailers know that their efforts are noticed and that you want them to continue on the path towards best practice.

Select a topic to ACKNOWLEDGE METRO’s efforts.

Social Responsibility

Select your communication method of choice below and take action!

Social Media

Facebook

  1. Copy your message of choice below (or draft your own)
  2. Go to METRO Ontario’s Facebook page (or search for your local METRO store’s page).
  3. Paste your message (be sure to tag SeaChoice!) and post.

“According to METRO’s #SeafoodProgress profile, your social responsibility expectations are clearly laid out to suppliers in your Code of Conduct and you have set up an effective traceability system to document your supply chain. As your customer, I appreciate that you call on your suppliers to take action against human rights abuses in your seafood supply chains! @seachoice www.seachoice.org/retailer/metro/“

Instagram

  1. Copy the message below (or draft your own). 
  2. Paste your message in a new post on Instagram (be sure to tag SeaChoice!), include a photo of your choosing and post.

“According to METRO’s #SeafoodProgress profile, their social responsibility expectations are clearly laid out to suppliers in their Code of Conduct, and they have set up an effective traceability system to document their supply chain. As someone who shops at METRO, I appreciate that they call on their suppliers to take action against human rights abuses in their seafood supply chains! @seachoice www.seachoice.org/retailer/metro/“

Twitter

  1. Copy the tweet below (or write your own).
  2. Go to Twitter.
  3. Paste your tweet (be sure to tag SeaChoice!) and post.

“.@MetroOntario, according to your #SeafoodProgress profile your seafood suppliers must sign off on your social responsibility commitment. As your customer, I appreciate that you call on suppliers to take action against human rights abuses in seafood supply chains! @seachoice”

Email

  1. Go to METRO’s Contact Us page and select your province.
  2. In the ‘Choose a Subject’ drop down, select ‘General question or comment.’
  3. Fill in all the fields that are marked with an asterisk (*). If you don’t want to include your phone number and availability, write N/A in these fields. 
  4. Copy and paste the message below into the ‘Your message’ field. 

Attention: Serge Boulanger, Senior Vice President, National Procurement and Corporate Brands

Hi there,

I shop at METRO and recently reviewed your company profile on Seafood Progress. I was impressed to learn that your social responsibility expectations are clearly laid out to suppliers in your Code of Conduct, and that you have set up an effective traceability system to document your supply chain. As your customer, I appreciate that you call on your suppliers to take action against human rights abuses in your seafood supply chains! 

I look forward to seeing METRO improve upon this process by verifying supplier compliance in next years’ Seafood Progress update.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Phone

  1. Call METRO’s Customer Service line at 1-877-763-7374.
  2. Select 1 for Ontario or 2 for Quebec, and then select 4 to connect with a Customer Care Agent. Once connected, speak to the message above in your own words.
Education

Select your communication method of choice below and take action!

Social Media

Facebook

  1. Copy your message of choice below (or draft your own)
  2. Go to METRO Ontario’s Facebook page (or search for your local METRO store’s page).
  3. Paste your message (be sure to tag SeaChoice!) and post.

” According to METRO’s #SeafoodProgress profile, you have screens at your fresh fish counters in most stores with information on your Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy. As your customer, I appreciate that you make this information available to me at the point of sale, where I most need it! @seachoice www.seachoice.org/retailer/metro/“

Instagram

  1. Copy the message below (or draft your own). 
  2. Paste your message in a new post on Instagram (be sure to tag SeaChoice!), include a photo of your choosing and post.

“According to METRO’s #SeafoodProgress profile, they have screens at their fresh fish counters in most stores with information on their Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy. As someone who shops at METRO, I appreciate that they make this information available to me at the point of sale, where I most need it! @seachoice www.seachoice.org/retailer/metro/“

Twitter

  1. Copy the tweet below (or write your own).
  2. Go to Twitter.
  3. Paste your tweet (be sure to tag SeaChoice!) and post.

“.@MetroOntario, according to your #SeafoodProgress profile there are screens at your fresh fish counters with information on your Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy. As your customer, I appreciate that you make this information available to me at the point of sale, where I most need it! @seachoice”

Email

  1. Go to METRO’s Contact Us page and select your province.
  2. In the ‘Choose a Subject’ drop down, select ‘General question or comment.’
  3. Fill in all the fields that are marked with an asterisk (*). If you don’t want to include your phone number and availability, write N/A in these fields. 
  4. Copy and paste the message below into the ‘Your message’ field. 

Attention: Serge Boulanger, Senior Vice President, National Procurement and Corporate Brands

Hi there,

I shop at METRO and recently reviewed your company profile on Seafood Progress. I was pleased to learn that METRO has screens at your fresh fish counters in most stores with information on your Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy. As your customer, I appreciate that you make this information available to me at the point of sale, where I most need it.

Thanks for your continued efforts – I look forward to seeing METRO’s improvements in next years’ Seafood Progress update!

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Phone

  1. Call METRO’s Customer Service line at 1-877-763-7374.
  2. Select 1 for Ontario or 2 for Quebec, and then select 4 to connect with a Customer Care Agent. Once connected, speak to the message above in your own words.
Supporting Industry Improvements

Select your communication method of choice below and take action!

Social Media

Facebook

  1. Copy your message of choice below (or draft your own)
  2. Go to METRO Ontario’s Facebook page (or search for your local METRO store’s page).
  3. Paste your message (be sure to tag SeaChoice!) and post.

“According to METRO’s #SeafoodProgress profile, you support various industry improvements by collaborating with other companies on initiatives, conducting outreach to policymakers and preferentially sourcing products with high levels of social responsibilty and traceability. As your customer, I really appreciate that you go above and beyond to drive important changes in the seafood industry! @seachoice www.seachoice.org/retailer/metro/“

Instagram

  1. Copy the message below (or draft your own). 
  2. Paste your message in a new post on Instagram (be sure to tag SeaChoice!), include a photo of your choosing and post.

“According to METRO’s #SeafoodProgress profile, they support various industry improvements by collaborating with other companies on initiatives, conducting outreach to policymakers and preferentially sourcing products with high levels of social responsibilty and traceability. As someone who shops at METRO, I really appreciate that they go above and beyond to drive important changes in the seafood industry! @seachoice www.seachoice.org/retailer/metro/“

Twitter

  1. Copy the tweet below (or write your own).
  2. Go to Twitter.
  3. Paste your tweet (be sure to tag SeaChoice!) and post.

“.@MetroOntario, according to your #SeafoodProgress profile you support various fisheries and aquaculture improvements on an ongoing basis. As your customer, I really appreciate that you go above and beyond to drive important changes in the seafood industry! @seachoice”

Email

  1. Go to METRO’s Contact Us page and select your province.
  2. In the ‘Choose a Subject’ drop down, select ‘General question or comment.’
  3. Fill in all the fields that are marked with an asterisk (*). If you don’t want to include your phone number and availability, write N/A in these fields. 
  4. Copy and paste the message below into the ‘Your message’ field. 

Attention: Serge Boulanger, Senior Vice President, National Procurement and Corporate Brands

Hi there,

I shop at METRO and recently reviewed your company profile on Seafood Progress. I was pleased to learn that you support various industry improvements by collaborating with other companies on initiatives, conducting outreach to policymakers and preferentially sourcing products with high levels of social responsibilty and traceability. As your customer, I really appreciate that you go above and beyond to drive important changes in the seafood industry.

I look forward to seeing you support more improvements in farmed Atlantic salmon next!

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Phone

  1. Call METRO’s Customer Service line at 1-877-763-7374.
  2. Select 1 for Ontario or 2 for Quebec, and then select 4 to connect with a Customer Care Agent. Once connected, speak to the message above in your own words.
Transparency

Select your communication method of choice below and take action!

Social Media

Facebook

  1. Copy your message of choice below (or draft your own)
  2. Go to METRO Ontario’s Facebook page (or search for your local METRO store’s page).
  3. Paste your message (be sure to tag SeaChoice!) and post.

“According to METRO’s #SeafoodProgress profile, you label all your fresh and frozen seafood with scientific name, geographic origin, wild/farmed and gear type or farming method. As your customer, I really appreciate that you label your products with ALL the info that I need to make informed decisions! @seachoice www.seachoice.org/retailer/metro/“

Instagram

  1. Copy the message below (or draft your own). 
  2. Paste your message in a new post on Instagram (be sure to tag SeaChoice!), include a photo of your choosing and post.

“”According to METRO’s #SeafoodProgress profile, they label all their fresh and frozen seafood with scientific name, geographic origin, wild/farmed and gear type or farming method. As someone who shops at METRO, I really appreciate that they label their products with ALL the info that I need to make informed decisions! @seachoice www.seachoice.org/retailer/metro/“

Twitter

  1. Copy the tweet below (or write your own).
  2. Go to Twitter.
  3. Paste your tweet (be sure to tag SeaChoice!) and post.

“.@MetroOntario, according to your #SeafoodProgress profile you label all your fresh and frozen private label seafood with scientific name, geographic origin, wild/farmed and gear type or farming method. As your customer, I really appreciate that you label your products with ALL the info that I need to make informed decisions!

Email

  1. Go to METRO’s Contact Us page and select your province.
  2. In the ‘Choose a Subject’ drop down, select ‘General question or comment.’
  3. Fill in all the fields that are marked with an asterisk (*). If you don’t want to include your phone number and availability, write N/A in these fields. 
  4. Copy and paste the message below into the ‘Your message’ field. 

Attention: Serge Boulanger, Senior Vice President, National Procurement and Corporate Brands

Hi there,

I shop at METRO and recently reviewed your company profile on Seafood Progress. I was pleased to learn that you you label all your fresh and frozen seafood with scientific name, geographic origin, wild/farmed and gear type or farming method. As your customer, I really appreciate that you label your products with ALL the info that I need to make informed decisions! I also appreciate that you are encouraging the national brands that you sell to increase the amount of information on their packaging. Thanks for your efforts on this.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

Phone

  1. Call METRO’s Customer Service line at 1-877-763-7374.
  2. Select 1 for Ontario or 2 for Quebec, and then select 4 to connect with a Customer Care Agent. Once connected, speak to the message above in your own words.

See below for the remainder of METRO’s 2021 profile summary.

Other retailer information

Data Collection. METRO collects information on the species’ scientific name, geographic origin, wild/farmed and gear type or farming methods for all its seafood products. 

Responsible Sourcing. METRO uses MSC, ASC, BAP 2+ star, Global GAP and Organic certifications, ratings from Seafood Watch and the Ocean Wise Seafood Program, as well as independent criteria to inform its procurement decisions. METRO requires its suppliers to sign a Code of Conduct to uphold its commitment to social responsibility and to also uphold its environmental sustainability commitment. METRO verifies that these commitments are being upheld by conducting random DNA testing and verification, frequent product traceability tests, and random checks on suppliers’ chain of custody records.

Transparency. METRO is one of few retailers profiled on Seafood Progress that shares the region and gear type of its private label products with the public through its Freshness You Can Trace (Fraîcheur traçable) platform. METRO includes species’ scientific name, geographic origin, wild/farmed and gear type or farming method for all its fresh-frozen and private label products, including the seafood in its fresh-frozen bulk bins. METRO is encouraging the national brands it sells to increase the amount of information on their packaging. 

Education. METRO has a training program in place for store staff that covers general sustainable fishing issues, seafood certification systems and METRO’s sustainable seafood policy. METRO’s scores have screens where customers can view an outline of its commitment. METRO has also developed a special online booklet about its commitment and published it in a major Quebec newspaper.

Supports Improvements. METRO supports improvements of farmed Atlantic salmon by collaborating with other companies and preferentially sourcing products that are ranked Best Choice by Seafood Watch, and only sells BAP 2+ star or ASC certified farmed shrimp and prawns. METRO preferentially sources from Green ranked skipjack tuna fisheries using manual, selective fishing techniques and prioritizes sourcing from suppliers who can provide full traceability to the boat. METRO also supports general industry improvements by conducting outreach to policy makers, collaborating with other companies, preferentially sourcing from more sustainable sources and prioritizing sourcing products with high levels of traceability and social responsibility. 

Note: In the process of developing this profile, SeaChoice corresponded with Alexandra Leclerc, Sustainable Fisheries and Animal Welfare Specialist at METRO.

Step 1: Does the retailer have a comprehensive commitment on sustainable seafood?

Overall Step Score

  • METRO
  • National Average

If it looks like you are only seeing the score for one year it is because the score did not change from year to year.

Key Performance Indicators

  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO’s Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture policy is “based on five principles that address issues specific to the industry.” These principles are: (1) healthy species, (2) responsible operating methods, (3) traceability of the products (4) respect for workers and (5) socioeconomic development.

METRO requires all its suppliers to demonstrate their ability to document, when asked, their chain of supply, extending back to the fishing vessel or farm.

METRO’s Responsible Procurement Framework lists the following goals, to be met by 2021:

  • 100% of private brand farmed shrimp will be certified by Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP);
  • 100% of private brand fresh farmed salmon will be BAP certified; and
  • 100% of private brand canned tuna will be from sustainable sources (meaning from suppliers who are using best practices such as being members of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, are investing in better gear technology or species conservation, have appropriate due diligence and traceability with regard to their sources, and have a public commitment to sustainable seafood)”.

  • 0% No publicly available environmental sustainability commitment or policy
  • 20% General commitment to environmentally sustainable seafood without clear objectives, traceability policy or timelines
  • 40% Commitment to environmental sustainability that includes clear objectives for sustainable procurement, but no traceability policy or timelines
  • 60% Commitment to environmental sustainability includes clear objectives that are supported by references to credible standards (such as Seafood Watch or Ocean Wise rankings, eco-certifications, etc.), but no traceability policy or timelines
  • 80% Commitment to environmental sustainability includes clear objectives that are supported by references to credible standards and a clear and effective traceability policy, but no timeline
  • 100% Commitment to environmental sustainability includes clear objectives that are supported by references to credible standards, a clear and effective traceability policy, and a timeline for meeting the commitment (unless the commitment has already been met).
  • Scoring Rubric
  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO’s Code of Conduct for Suppliers covers all the workers in METRO’s supply chain, regardless of their status (seasonal, casual, part-time, full-time; local or migrant), and is informed by recognized international standards, specifically labour rights and principles such as those set out by the International Labour Organization (ILO). Furthermore, shrimp suppliers in particular must confirm that they do not use child labour, forced labor or slavery. The expectations for METRO’s suppliers are clearly laid out in its Code of Conduct, and METRO has set up a traceability system to document the supply chain from the fishing zone or farm, to the consumer.

  • 0% No publicly available social responsibility commitment or policy
  • 20% General commitment to socially responsible seafood without clear objectives, traceability policy or timelines
  • 40% Commitment to social responsibility includes clear objectives for socially responsible procurement (for example by referring to credible international standards such as ILO, UN Declaration, etc.), but no traceability policy or timelines
  • 60% Commitment to social responsibility includes clear objectives and actions or expectations for seafood suppliers, but no traceability policy or timelines.
  • 80% Commitment to social responsibility includes clear objectives, actions or expectations for seafood suppliers, and a clear and effective traceability policy, but no timeline
  • 100% Commitment to social responsibility includes clear objectives, actions or expectations for seafood suppliers, a clear and effective traceability policy, and a timeline for meeting the commitment (unless the commitment has already been met).
  • Scoring Rubric
  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO’s sustainable seafood policy covers 8 of its 9 banners. It intends to bring its remaining banner, Marché Adonis, under its commitment but have not yet determined a timeline.

  • 0% Retailer does not include any banners in its sustainable seafood commitment
  • 25% Retailer includes 25% or more of its banners in its sustainable seafood commitment
  • 50% Retailer includes 50% or more of its banners in its sustainable seafood commitment
  • 75% Retailer includes 75% or more of its banners in its sustainable seafood commitment
  • 100% Retailer includes 100% of its banners in its sustainable seafood commitment
  • Scoring Rubric
  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO’S sustainable seafood policy covers all of its shelf stable and national brand products.

  • 0% Retailer's commitment covers neither all of their shelf stable or national brand. products
  • 50% Retailer's commitment covers all of their shelf stable or national brand products
  • 100% Retailer's commitment covers all of their shelf stable AND national brand products
  • Scoring Rubric

Step 2: Is the retailer collecting data to support their commitment?

Overall Step Score

  • METRO
  • National Average

What information is the retailer collecting to monitor the environmental and social sustainability of their seafood products?

The step score is based on the average of Step 2 key performance indicators (KPIs, or step elements) listed below; click the + signs for more detailed information.

If it looks like you are only seeing the score for one year it is because the score did not change from year to year. Try clicking off the ‘June 2019’ button below the score bar.

Key Performance Indicators

  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO collect species’ scientific names for all its seafood products (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 04/15/2021).

  • 0% No data collected (or no information)
  • 50% Data collected for some products
  • 100% Data collected for all products
  • Scoring Rubric
  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO collect country or region of origin for all its seafood products (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 04/15/2021).

  • 0% No data collected (or no information)
  • 50% Data collected for some products
  • 100% Data collected for all products
  • Scoring Rubric
  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO collect information on whether the product comes from wild or farmed sources for all its seafood products (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 04/15/2021).

  • 0% No data collected (or no information)
  • 50% Data collected for some products
  • 100% Data collected for all products
  • Scoring Rubric
  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO collect information on gear type or farming method for all its seafood products (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 04/15/2021).

  • 0% No data collected (or no information)
  • 50% Data collected for some products
  • 100% Data collected for all products
  • Scoring Rubric

Step 3: Is the retailer making responsible sourcing decisions?

Overall Step Score

  • METRO
  • National Average

Are the retailer’s procurement decisions supporting their environmental and social sustainability commitments?

The step score is based on the average of Step 3 key performance indicators (KPIs, or step elements) listed below; click the + signs for more detailed information.

Note that KPI 3.3 was changed in 2019 from “Retailer works with suppliers to address potential human rights and labour abuses, and support sustainable livelihoods for producers” to more specific indicators around retailers’ agreements with their suppliers/vendors to uphold their environmental and social commitments.

If it looks like you are only seeing the score for one year it is because the score did not change from year to year. Try clicking off the ‘June 2019’ button below the score bar.

Key Performance Indicators

  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO uses MSC, ASC, BAP 2 star plus, Global GAP and Organic certifications, ratings from Seafood Watch and the Ocean Wise Seafood Program, as well as independent criteria to inform its procurement decisions (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 04/15/2021).

  • 0% No sustainability criteria used to inform purchasing decisions (or no information available)
  • 100% Sustainabilty criteria used to inform purchasing decisions
  • Scoring Rubric
  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

In its 2019 Fiscal Year Corporate Social Responsibility Report, METRO announced that it had met its goal of 100% of its private brand canned tuna meeting its criteria for sustainable fisheries, 100% of its private brand farmed salmon products being BAP certified, and that 96% of its private brand farmed shrimp products (by volume) were BAP certified (the other 4% are certified organic).

Overall for private brand products, 100% of products currently being sold are meeting METRO’s sourcing commitments, and its fresh counter products are nearing 100% compliance (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 04/15/2021).

  • 0% Retailer has not reported in last three years how much of their seafood sold meets their sustainability commitment (or no information available)
  • 25% percent or more of the retailer's seafood products sold meets their sustainability commitment
  • 50% percent or more of the retailer's seafood products sold meets their sustainability commitment
  • 75% percent or more of the retailer's seafood products sold meets their sustainability commitment
  • 100% percent of the retailer's seafood products sold meets their sustainability commitment
  • Scoring Rubric
  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO’s commercial agreements include both its Supplier Code of Conduct and its Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy. In signing these commercial agreements, METRO’s suppliers agree to uphold all the appendixes including those two documents. METRO is also committed to working with its suppliers “on a continuous basis to ensure that they comply with [METRO’s] policies and that they continue to adopt the most responsible practices”. METRO actively verifies that this commitment is being upheld by random DNA testing and verification, frequent product traceability tests, and random checks on suppliers’ chain of custody records (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 04/15/2021).

  • 0% Suppliers are not required to sign a code of conduct (or no information)
  • 25% Some suppliers are required to sign a code of conduct that covers some of the retailer's environmental sustainability commitment
  • 50% All suppliers are required to sign a code of conduct that covers some of the retailer's environmental sustainability commitment
  • 75% All suppliers are required to sign a code of conduct that covers all of the retailer's environmental sustainability commitment
  • 100% All suppliers are required to sign a code of conduct that covers all of the retailer's environmental sustainability commitment and the retailer actively verifies that this commitment is being upheld.
  • Scoring Rubric
  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO’s commercial agreements include its Supplier Code of Conduct, which includes respect for workers’ rights across the supply chain (from small-scale to industrial fishermen, employees of aquaculture farms, and workers in processing plants; from METRO’s Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy). In signing their commercial agreement, METRO’s suppliers agree to uphold all the appendixes, including the Code of Conduct. METRO does not yet have a system of verification in place beyond its traceability policy but it is in the process of developing a questionnaire that suppliers will be required to complete annually (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 04/15/2021).

  • 0% Suppliers are not required to sign a code of conduct (or no information)
  • 25% Some suppliers are required to sign a code of conduct that covers some of the retailer's social responsibility commitment.
  • 50% All suppliers are required to sign a code of conduct that covers some of the retailer's social responsibility commitment.
  • 75% All suppliers are required to sign a code of conduct that covers all of the retailer's social responsibility commitment.
  • 100% All suppliers are required to sign a code of conduct that covers all of the retailer's social responsibility commitment and the retailer actively verifies that this commitment is being upheld.
  • Scoring Rubric

Step 4: Is the retailer transparent about their commitment?

Overall Step Score

  • METRO
  • National Average

Is the retailer making information regarding the environmental and social performance of their seafood products publicly available and are they reporting on progress against their sustainable seafood commitment?

The step score is based on the average of Step 4 key performance indicators (KPIs, or step elements) listed below; click the + signs for more detailed information.

If it looks like you are only seeing the score for one year it is because the score did not change from year to year. Try clicking off the ‘June 2019’ button below the score bar.

Key Performance Indicators

  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO includes all this information for fresh-frozen and private label products, including seafood in its frozen bulk bins, and is encouraging the national brands it sells to increase the amount of information on their packaging (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 04/15/2021).

  • Species Latin name (the what)
  • Country of origin (the where)
  • Wild or farmed (the how, part 1)
  • Gear type or farming methods (the how, part 2)
  • 0% Retailer does not label products with the information (or no information)
  • 50% Retailer labels some products with the information
  • 100% Retailer labels all products with the information
  • Scoring Rubric
  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO labels BAP certified products as applicable (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 04/15/2021).

  • 0% Retailer does not label products with an ecolabel as appropriate (or no information)
  • 100% Retailer labels products with an ecolabel as appropriate OR all products fit under a standard and is communicated as such
  • Scoring Rubric
  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

Information on the region and gear type data has been made available for many of METRO’s products through their new public information platform – “Fraîcheur traçable” / “Freshness you can trace“. Using this system and the information available on seafood counter and private label products, customers can find out where products were sourced from and what gear or farming method was used to produce them.

  • 0% No list of products procured with region and gear type has been made available (or no information)
  • 50% Some seafood products with region and gear type has been made available
  • 100% All seafood products with region and gear type has been made available
  • Scoring Rubric
  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO reported on the progress it has made on its farmed shrimp commitment and the achievement of its farmed salmon and tuna commitments in its 2020 CSR report.

  • 0% No public information on how the retailer is doing to meet its commitment
  • 50% Retailer has at one point in the past reported publicly how much of its seafood sold meets its commitment
  • 100% Retailer regularly reports publicly how much of its seafood sold meets its commitment (by volume/value, at least every two years)
  • Scoring Rubric

Step 5: Does the retailer educate staff, customers and/or vendors about the importance of their commitment to sustainable seafood?

Overall Step Score

  • METRO
  • National Average

Is the retailer educating their employees, customers, suppliers and other key stakeholders about their sustainable seafood commitment, environmental and social issues in seafood, and the importance of traceability?

The step score is based on the average of Step 5 key performance indicators (KPIs, or step elements) listed below; click the + signs for more detailed information.

Note that KPI 5.3 changed in 2019 from “Suppliers are required to sign a Code of Conduct to uphold the retailer’s sustainable seafood policy” (now covered by KPIs 3.3 and 3.4) to an indicator of what actions retailers have taken to educate their suppliers/vendors about their sustainable seafood commitment.

If it looks like you are only seeing the score for one year it is because the score did not change from year to year. Try clicking off the ‘June 2019’ button below the score bar.

Key Performance Indicators

  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO has a training program in place for store staff that covers general sustainable fishing issues (e.g. overfishing, bycatch, impacts on the seabed, etc.), seafood certification systems, and METRO’s sustainable seafood policy (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 27/03/2018). In support of ongoing staff training, METRO periodically provides its employees with information on the implementation of its Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy as well as on other interesting facts and issues related to fisheries and aquaculture through its online library (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 04/15/2021).

  • 0% Training programs not conducted for seafood staff (or no information)
  • 50% Training programs sometimes conducted or for only some seafood staff
  • 75% Training programs conducted for all seafood staff, but infrequently (less than every two years)
  • 100% Training programs regularly (at least every two years) conducted for all seafood staff
  • Scoring Rubric
  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

All METRO stores with fresh fish counters have screens that outline METRO’s commitment to sourcing healthy species, using sustainable fishing and farming methods, guaranteeing traceability and supporting local economies. In the context of it’s “Fraîcheur traçable” / “Freshness you can trace” campaign, point-of-sale pamphlets have been developed for Quebec’s consumers. In addition to the in-store program, METRO has developed other tools to help inform consumers about its policy, including a special online booklet published in a major Quebec newspaper, LaPresse+ (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 04/15/2021).

  • 0% There is no description of the sustainable seafood program in store (or no information)
  • 50% This is some description of the sustainable seafood program in store
  • 100% There is a comprehensive description of the sustainable seafood program in store
  • Scoring Rubric
  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO’s commercial agreements include both its Supplier Code of Conduct and its Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy. In signing their commercial agreement, METRO’s suppliers agree to uphold all the appendixes including those two documents. If suppliers are not willing or able to meet METRO’s requirements in terms of sourcing or traceability, then METRO will not source products from them (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 04/15/2021).

  • 0% The retailer has taken no actions OR no information available
  • 25% The retailer sends its suppliers or vendors a copy of its sustainable seafood commitment or policy
  • 50% The retailer shares its sustainable seafood commitment or policy and sometimes engages with its suppliers to help ensure the products they supply meet the retailer's expectations.
  • 75% The retailer shares its sustainable seafood commitment or policy and regularly engages with its suppliers to help ensure the products they supply meet the retailer's expectations.
  • 100% The retailer shares its sustainable seafood commitment or policy, has a clear strategy to engage with its suppliers and provides direct support (e.g. training, resources) to help ensure all seafood product are procured in line with its policies.
  • Scoring Rubric

Step 6: Does the retailer support improvements in fisheries and aquaculture?

Overall Step Score

  • METRO
  • National Average

Does the retailer sell ‘Priority Seafood’ products (seafood that has high volume of sales in Canadian retail stores and that is generally not recommended by the Ocean Wise Seafood Program), and if so, do they support improvement and how?

The step score is based on the average of Step 6 key performance indicators (KPIs, or step elements) listed below; click the + signs for more detailed information.

Note that this Step was changed significantly in 2019 to introduce two additional ‘Support Improvement’ actions for each of the Priority Seafood products. This means that if a retailer was engaged in the same actions in 2019 as in 2018, and no more, their score will appear to have decreased). Additionally, KPIs 6.4 and 6.5 on other SeaChoice priority seafood products were generalized into a new KPI that allows retailers to showcase any other actions they are taking to support improvement of specific seafood products (besides shrimp, farmed salmon and skipjack), or to support improvements in seafood sustainability in general.

If it looks like you are only seeing the score for one year it is because the score did not change from year to year. Try clicking off the ‘June 2019’ button below the score bar.

Key Performance Indicators

  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO preferentially source salmon produced in: open-pen farms which are ASC or BAP certified, land-based recirculating aquaculture systems, or integrated aquaculture practices. Where possible, METRO sources salmon that are rated “Best Choice” (Green) by Seafood Watch, and is currently looking at expanding the scope of products they list to include more organically produced salmon and/or salmon produced without the use of antibiotics (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 04/15/2021).

  • Only sells farmed salmon products that meet the highest bars for sustainability, i.e. are certified by ASC, Recommended by Ocean Wise and/or ranked Best Choice by Seafood Watch (100 pts)
  • Outreach to policymakers to advocate for salmon farming management to be more environmentally sustainable and/or socially responsible
  • Collaborating with other companies pre-competitively to improve salmon aquaculture practices
  • Works with suppliers or producers directly to improve salmon farming practices
  • Refrains from advertising versions of this product that are not ASC certified, Not Recommended by Ocean Wise and/or ranked Avoid by Seafood Watch
  • Preferentially procures farmed salmon from sources that are ASC certified, Recommended by Ocean Wise or ranked Best Choice by Seafood Watch
  • Sourcing decisions also prioritize products with high levels of social responsibility and traceability
  • 0% Sells the product and does not support improvements by doing any of the actions listed or no information available
  • 17% Retailer is engaged in one action to support improvement
  • 34% Retailer is engaged in two actions to support improvement
  • 51% Retailer is engaged in three actions to support improvement
  • 68% Retailer is engaged in four actions to support improvement
  • 85% Retailer is engaged in five improvement activities or doesn't sell the product
  • 100% Retailer is engaged in all improvement activities or doesn't sell the product
  • Scoring Rubric
  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO imports shrimps and prawns from farms with BAP, ASC or Organic certification. Where possible, METRO sources shrimp and prawns that are rated “Best Choice” (Green) by Seafood Watch (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 04/15/2021). METRO also prioritizes products with high levels of social responsibility and traceability by requiring shrimp and prawn suppliers in particular to sign a letter of guarantee every year that no child labor, forced labor or slavery was involved in the production of their products (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 04/15/2021).

  • Only sells farmed shrimp and prawn products that meet the highest bars for sustainability, i.e. are certified by ASC or BAP, Recommended by Ocean Wise and/or ranked Best Choice by Seafood Watch (100 pts)
  • Outreach to policymakers to advocate for shrimp and prawn farming management to be more environmentally sustainable and/or socially responsible
  • Collaborating with other companies pre-competitively to improve shrimp and prawn farming practices
  • Works with suppliers or producers directly to improve shrimp and prawn farming practices
  • Refrains from advertising versions of this product that are not ASC or BAP certified, Not Recommended by Ocean Wise and/or ranked Avoid by Seafood Watch
  • Preferentially procures shrimp and prawns from sources that are ASC or BAP certified, Recommended by Ocean Wise or Best Choice by Seafood Watch
  • Sourcing decisions also prioritize products with high levels of social responsibility and traceability
  • 0% Retailer sells the product and does not support improvements by doing any of the actions listed or no information available
  • 17% Retailer is engaged in one action to support improvement
  • 34% Retailer is engaged in two actions to support improvement
  • 51% Retailer is engaged in three actions to support improvement
  • 68% Retailer is engaged in four actions to support improvement
  • 85% Retailer is engaged in five actions to support improvement
  • 100% Retailer is engaged in all support improvement activities or doesn't sell the product
  • Scoring Rubric
  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

METRO preferentially sources from tuna fisheries that are rated by Seafood Watch as “Best Choice” (Green), which use manual and selective fishing techniques such as pole and line, and from suppliers who can provide full traceability, including the catching vessel and canning facility (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 04/15/2021).

  • Only sells skipjack tuna products that meet the highest bars for sustainability, i.e. are certified by MSC, Recommended by Ocean Wise and/or ranked Best Choice by Seafood Watch (100 pts)
  • Outreach to policymakers to advocate for skipjack fishing methods and management to be more environmentally sustainable and/or socially responsible
  • Collaborating with other companies pre-competitively to improve skipjack fishery management practices
  • Works with suppliers or producers directly to improve skipjack fishing practices
  • Refrains from advertising versions of this product that are not MSC certified, Not Recommended by Ocean Wise and/or ranked Avoid by Seafood Watch
  • Preferentially sources from more sustainable sources that are MSC certified, Recommended by Ocean Wise or Best Choice by Seafood Watch
  • Sourcing decisions also prioritize products with high levels of social responsibility and traceability
  • 0% Retailer sells the product and does not support improvements by doing any of the actions listed or no information available
  • 17% Retailer is engaged in one action to support improvement
  • 34% Retailer is engaged in two actions to support improvement
  • 51% Retailer is engaged in three actions to support improvement
  • 68% Retailer is engaged in four actions to support improvement
  • 85% Retailer is engaged in five actions to support improvement
  • 100% Retailer is engaged in all support improvement activities or doesn't sell the product
  • Scoring Rubric
  • METRO
  • National Average

Scoring Rationale

All of METRO’s sourcing decisions prioritize products with high levels of social responsibility and traceability. In May of 2021, METRO sent a letter to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in support of an electronic and interoperable boat-to-plate traceability system for all seafood sold in Canada. METRO also began collaborating with other industry members on the development of a boat-to-plate traceability system led by Merinov, an applied research center in fishing and aquaculture. Furthermore, METRO joined a precompetitive initiative for the Centre for Research on Marine Biology (CRBM) with the intention of developing a center for DNA product testing and food safety (personal communication, A. Leclerc, 04/15/2021).

  • Only sells versions of this product that meet the highest bars for sustainability, i.e. are certified by MSC/ASC, Recommended by Ocean Wise and/or ranked Best Choice by Seafood Watch (100 pts)
  • Outreach to policymakers to advocate for harvest or farming method and management to be more environmentally sustainable and/or socially responsible
  • Collaborating with other companies pre-competitively to improve fishing or aquaculture practices
  • Works with suppliers or producers directly to improve fishing or farming practices
  • Refrains from advertising versions of this product that are not MSC/ASC certified, Not Recommended by Ocean Wise and/or ranked Avoid by Seafood Watch
  • Preferentially sources from more sustainable sources that are MSC/ASC certified, Recommended by Ocean Wise or Best Choice by Seafood Watch
  • Sourcing decisions also prioritize products with high levels of social responsibility and traceability
  • 0% Retailer sells the product and does not support improvements by doing any of the actions listed or no information available
  • 17% Retailer is engaged in one action to support improvement
  • 34% Retailer is engaged in two actions to support improvement
  • 51% Retailer is engaged in three actions to support improvement
  • 68% Retailer is engaged in four actions to support improvement
  • 85% Retailer is engaged in five actions to support improvement
  • 100% Retailer is engaged in all support improvement activities
  • Scoring Rubric
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Seafood Progress Reports

Sustainable Seafood Policy

Link

Location

Quebec and Ontario

Store Brands

  • Les 5 Saisons (fresh seafood and sushi is covered, frozen and shelf-stable (e.g. canned) has not been confirmed at this time)
  • Marché Adonis 
  • Marché AMI
  • Marché Extra
  • Marché Richelieu
  • Metro
  • Metro Plus
  • Super C

Banners in red are excluded from this retailer’s sustainable seafood policy.

SeaChoice is a sustainable seafood partnership of the following three conservation groups: