Last Thursday Canada Safeway, a recognized leader in sustainable seafood, unveiled its new in-store consumer information program. Customers will now be able to easily identify which fresh and frozen seafood items are the best ocean-friendly choices.
Through the SeaChoice ranking program (similar to a traffic light system) Safeway customers will learn which seafood items are ranked as “Green” (first/best choice products) and “Yellow” (second choice with some concerns). This user-friendly system found at Safeway seafood counters across western Canada, includes product labels, point-of-sale signage, wallet guides and informative brochures. Prior to today’s launch, hundreds of Safeway employees took part in a series of education initiatives to help guide customers in their seafood choices.
Canada Safeway also celebrates the launch of its new SAFEWAY label “responsibly caught” affordable skipjack canned tuna. The product is the first private-label brand in North America to make a commitment to using only tuna caught by free-school purse-seine methods and not caught by using harmful fish-aggregating-devices (“FADs”). FADs have been shown to cause significant ecosystem damage as unintended species, such as sea turtles, sharks, rays and juvenile tuna, are attracted by the devices and injured or destroyed in the process of catching tuna. Safeway now requires that this new FAD-free skipjack canned tuna includes only free-school tuna caught by purse-seiners using traditional methods of radar, sonar and binocular observance by the captain. In 2012, Safeway discontinued its private label yellowfin canned tuna because of FAD concerns and is implementing these new specifications at a time when the tuna fishing industry is finding better ways to avoid the negative impacts associated with FADs. Safeway’s move to eliminate FAD-caught tuna is part of an effort to make all SAFEWAY label canned tuna more responsibly sourced.
“Today is a very important day for Canada Safeway as we put our updated sustainable seafood policy into action,” said Bill Sexsmith, Vice President of Sales, for Canada Safeway. “At the core of our policy is our commitment that by 2015 all fresh and frozen seafood, as well as our private-labelled canned tuna will be sourced from sustainable and traceable sources, or be in a credible improvement project.”
Demand for seafood has increased substantially over the last 50 years and today one billion people globally depend on seafood as a source of protein. “Balancing the needs of our customers and the needs of our planet is a challenge that the grocery industry faces on a daily basis. By working with partners such as SeaChoice and our various suppliers, we strive to provide high-quality seafood that is not only a ‘best choice’ for our customers but also for our planet’s oceans,” Sexsmith said.
“SeaChoice applauds the significant efforts, dedication and leadership from Canada Safeway in implementing their sustainable seafood policy,” stated Kelly Roebuck, SeaChoice representative from Living Ocean Society. “Today’s announcement demonstrates just one of the many progressive steps and achievements made thus far towards their commitment to source sustainably by 2015,” Roebuck added.
About Canada Safeway Limited: www.Safeway.ca
Safeway is an industry leader in environmental sustainability, ethical business practices and effective community outreach. Safeway upholds an operating philosophy that is rooted in corporate social responsibility focused on four key fundamentals: People, Products, Community, and the Planet. These fundamentals are at the heart of Safeway, bringing together the company’s passion for food and serving customers with the rapidly developing needs of local communities and the planet. Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 100 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America, based on sales and operates 1,666 stores in the United States and western Canada. Canada Safeway, a wholly owned subsidiary of Safeway Inc. operates 224 stores across Western Canada. The company’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWY.
About SeaChoice: www.SeaChoice.org
Formed in 2006, SeaChoice is a national program that provides science-based sustainability assessments of seafood and helps Canadian businesses and consumers make sustainable seafood choices. SeaChoice is a joint initiative of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society BC, David Suzuki Foundation, Ecology Action Centre, Living Oceans Society and Sierra Club BC. Working in collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s acclaimed Seafood Watch program, SeaChoice undertakes science-based seafood assessments, provides informative resources for consumers, and supports businesses through collaborative partnerships. SeaChoice’s Canada Safeway partnership is in collaboration with Safeway Inc.’s partnership with US-based conservation organisation, FishWise.
Source: Canada Safeway Limited
