LAKELAND, Fla. — SFP today welcomed Publix’s move to publish a list of all of the fisheries used within the company’s seafood department to source wild seafood, along with information on management, catch method, and environmental impact. The data disclosure exercise – part of the SFP Ocean Disclosure Project (ODP) – is the first time a U.S. company has made such a comprehensive report and represents a dramatic increase in corporate transparency.
“Publix’s seafood sustainability philosophy is to provide transparency for our customers while engaging with our suppliers to drive change in the seafood industry,” said Maria Brous, Director of Media and Community Relations. “Sustainability is about continuous improvement. SFP and Publix have shared values and vision for a more sustainable seafood future. Through our collaboration on the Ocean Disclosure Project, we are able to evaluate our current sustainability landscape, prioritize our impact, and support the supply chain from the fishermen to the processors through fishery improvement projects, allowing us to ultimately offer our customers more of the options they are looking for.”
Commenting on the publication of the report, Kathryn Novak, Director of Buyer Engagement for SFP, said:
“This is a truly impressive commitment and represents a significant step forward in corporate reporting on sustainable seafood. Consumers, the public, investors, and other stakeholders can now see for themselves where Publix sources seafood, how the fish are caught, and how well the resource is managed. With this announcement, we feel Publix has taken a leadership role in seafood sustainability.”
Publix is the first retailer in the U.S. to participate in the ODP, joining European participants Asda, Biomar, The Co-operative Group, Joseph Robertson, Morrisons, and Skretting.
The full profiles along with an introductory document can be seen at:
https://www.sustainablefish.org/Programs/Professional-Guidance/Ocean-Disclosure-Project
About ODP:
The Ocean Disclosure Project uses fishery data collected by both participating companies and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership. Each company profile identifies source fisheries, gear types, the quality of fishery management, environmental impacts, and the presence of third-party certifications and improvement projects. The project is intended to showcase best practice in corporate transparency around responsible seafood sourcing and allows companies to demonstrate their practical commitment to improving the sustainability of the seafood that they sell.
About SFP:
Founded in 2006, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Foundation – known as Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) – is a non-profit organization dedicated to rebuilding depleted fish stocks and reducing the environmental and social impacts of fishing and fish farming through engaging fishery stakeholders (communities, NGOs, government, etc.) and seafood businesses in every part of the supply chain. The organization works to improve fisheries through fishery improvement projects (FIPs) and aquaculture improvement projects (AIPs), which are multi-stakeholder bodies that seek to advance the sustainability of fishing and fish farming operations. SFP also supports Supply Chain Roundtables that allow seafood suppliers to work in a pre-competitive environment to promote improvement throughout the supply chain. Visit us at www.sustainablefish.org.
About Publix:
Publix is privately owned and operated by its 190,000 employees, with 2016 sales of $34 billion. Currently Publix has 1,146 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina. The company has been named one of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For in America” for 20 consecutive years. In addition, Publix’s dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized among the top in the grocery business. For more information, visit the company’s website, corporate.publix.com.
Source: Publix
