Charleston, SC – Sea Pact, a collaborative group of leading North American distributors focused on improving seafood sustainability through their combined leverage and resources, today announced that Inland Seafood has joined the organization.
As the largest seafood distributor in the southeast US, one of the leading packers of Maine lobster, and one of the most innovative companies in the industry, Inland Seafood is well-placed joining the Sea Pact group of companies. “The addition of Inland Seafood’s experience and sustainability perspectives will add value and help expand our reach and impact,” said Rob Johnson, Managing Director of Sea Pact. “We are pleased to be able to make this announcement during National Seafood Month, and at Sea Pact’s annual meeting this year hosted by Ipswich Shellfish in Charleston, SC.”
Together, Sea Pact members collective buying power would make them the 4th largest seafood company in the United States and the 15th largest seafood company in the world. Their collective strength and industry expertise are being applied in an effective model of pre-competitive collaboration as Sea Pact member companies are working as a group to advance sustainable and responsible fishery and aquaculture practices. Collectively, they have helped provide the building blocks for a long term and productive seafood industry through financial and expertise contributions to projects that improve fishing and farming systems globally. “Sea Pact has funded over 27 grants to more than 22 projects in 13 countries, with $550,000 USD in direct support and with additional funds generated of over $1 million USD across these projects,” states Rob Johnson, Managing Director of Sea Pact. Johnson adds “As the organization has evolved, Sea Pact members have expressed interest in growing their positive impact beyond individual project funding and are exploring collective impact approaches and national and international partnerships to scale up and drive transformational change”.
Inland Seafood, based in Atlanta, Georgia, was established in 1977 and founded on the simple philosophy of supplying their customers with the best quality seafood available with the best service in the industry. Today, Inland is the largest full-line processor and distributor of more than 2,000 fresh, frozen, smoked and specialty seafood items in the Southeast United States. Inland Seafood is committed to providing their customers a consistent supply of seafood that is transparent, traceable and sourced from well-managed fisheries, and is responsibly produced and harvested.
“Inland is excited about the opportunity to join forces with the other Sea Pact member companies. To be part of such an influential collective is going to allow us to leverage our impact on the larger seafood industry, while also giving us the chance to work and collaborate with some of the most creative minds in the business. Because we’re a 100% employee owned company we want to make sure the concerns of each one of our shareholders is addressed, and Sea Pact is a perfect way to support a diverse range of projects and activities” said Mary Smith of Inland Seafood.
Stacy Schultz, Director of Marketing and Sustainability Coordinator for Fortune Fish & Gourmet, and Chairwoman of the Sea Pact Advisory Council commented “I’m excited to have Inland aboard and looking forward to the experience and innovative viewpoint that Inland can contribute to Sea Pact”.
About Sea Pact: Euclid Fish Company, Fortune Fish & Gourmet, Inland Seafood, Intercity Packers, Ipswich Shellfish Group, JJ McDonnell, North Atlantic Inc., Santa Monica Seafood, Seacore Seafood, Seattle Fish Co., and Stavis Seafoods are the unified members of Sea Pact and share an active progressive approach to their seafood sustainability commitments. Sea Pact receives sustainability counsel from non-profit organizations FishWise, Ocean Outcomes, and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership.
To learn more about Sea Pact, visit http://www.seapact.org
