Washington, DC – The Crab Council welcomes Fortune Fish & Gourmet as its newest member. The Chicago premium seafood distributor has pledged to support the responsible harvest of blue swimming crab and fund fishery improvement projects.
Founded in 2001, Fortune Fish & Gourmet has established itself as a premier fresh and frozen seafood and specialty food distributor. Their diversified product offerings are used in fine restaurants, hotels, country clubs and grocers throughout the Midwest and nationally.
“We have built the Fortune Fish & Gourmet brand on selectivity,” said President Sean O'Scannlain. “As we develop our line of blue swimming crab, we want a sustainable, premium product from the outset. With policies that emphasize the harvest of mature crab, the Crab Council values the same discernment in sourcing that defines Fortune. We are excited to join a like-minded group of companies focused on the future of blue swimming crab.”
Fortune Fish & Gourmet joins the industry-led sustainability group during a period of active growth. In the last year, the Crab Council has seen five new members join, expanding its roster to twenty-two companies. The Crab Council assesses its members on every pound of blue swimming crab imported with the collected revenue funding fishery management efforts in Southeast Asia.
“For many sustainability minded companies Crab Council membership is now an essential element of their business plan,” said Crab Council Chairman Brendan Sweeny. “More and more, companies are becoming involved in the Crab Council even before their first crab order is delivered. We encourage upstart and generational crab importers alike to join the council and strengthen our sustainability mission.”
The NFI Crab Council was founded in 2009 and funds Blue Swimming Crab sustainability projects through contributions from participating companies and has received grants from the World Bank and the Walton Family Foundation.
Source: National Fisheries Institute
