Washington, DC –The National Fisheries Institute’s Crab Council announces it has elected a new Chairman, Brice Phillips the Director of Club Store Sales at Phillips Foods. Phillips will assume the chairmanship of the nearly ten-year old crab sustainability group immediately.
Founded in 2009 the Council finances global blue swimming crab sustainability work through contributions from participating companies and has received grants from the World Bank, the Walton Family Foundation, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the Seafood Industry Research Fund. The precompetitive collaboration funds and operates Fisheries Improvement Projects in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and India.
“It is a pleasure to welcome Brice Phillips into this new role,” said Ed Rhodes NFI Crab Council Executive Director. “Brice has an infectious energy and emphasis on the future of the fishery. His vision starts with five and ten-year considerations not just the status of the stocks tomorrow and the next day. We look forward to his leadership.”
NFI Crab Council Members collectively represent around 85% of the total Blue Swimming Crab imported into the U.S. These companies have taken responsibility for their industry’s future by pledging resources, commitment and funding to the future of crab. The Council’s membership embodies a new balance of business and harvest, adopting sourcing policies while funding projects that benefit the resource and communities where they are active.
“The NFI Crab Council is one of the most successful precompetitive collaborations in seafood,” said Phillips. “It has a storied past and a bright future. That may involve new policies, new focuses, new investments and new partnerships. Whatever the next chapters bring, they will certainly involve committed companies that are willing to put crab sustainability first. I am excited to work with partners who are dedicated to this mission.”
