Courtesy of SeafoodNews.com:
Oregon-based Pacific Seafood has published their second annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report, and the 47-page document highlights some of the company’s new sustainability-related projects for the new year.
“When Pacific Seafood was founded more than 75 years ago, it was my family’s goal to deliver the freshest seafood on the planet to our customers every day,” said Pacific Seafood CEO and President Frank Dulcich. “Today, our commitment to that goal remains unchanged and stronger than ever. Protecting the longevity of our oceans and the important ecological balance within them is critical so that we can continue to provide delicious seafood for generations to come.”
As part of their commitment to protecting the longevity of the oceans, Pacific Seafood is leading the effort to have wild, U.S. Gulf shrimp MSC-certified. While NOAA doesn’t currently have the funds to hire independent third-party observers, Pacific Seafood has been working with the government agency to provide video footage to NOAA for observers to review right from their desks. With permission from NOAA, Pacific Seafood policy advisor Jon Gonzalez was able to attach cameras onto their boats “24 hours a day while harvesting.” The company received a grant from the Resource Legacy Fund to support the project over the next two years, with the money going towards the purchase of cameras that are specifically designed to “provide at-sea verification of sustainably fishing efforts.”
Pacific Seafood is currently in the
pilot phase with this project, with the initial footage expected to be
available towards the end of 2019. Following a reviewal process from NOAA, the
company hopes to have the program fully rolled out in 2020. They anticipate the
fishery being certified within two years.
You can find Pacific Seafood’s Corporate Social Responsibility
Report in full here.