Sustainability

The Northwest Atlantic Ocean has gifted us with a diverse array of some of the best fish and seafood in the entire world. We love what we do and where we do it, and it’s no question that sustainability and conservation is of the highest importance. We work tirelessly to conserve and grow the seafood resources that sustain us and feed the world.

To us, sustainability is not just a buzzword but a guiding principle woven into the fabric of all our decisions. It is a matter of the future of our industry. Decisions made about catch levels today can affect the health of fish stocks for the following year and decades thereafter. We must conserve and safeguard our precious marine resources. After all, a treasure has no value once it is gone.

Therefore, we support a science-based, careful approach to resource management and harvest planning to ensure fish stocks remain resilient to environmental change and ecosystem shifts. We also ‘walk the talk’ through our Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) sustainability certificates, and our Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs).

The link between sustainable fisheries and resilient rural communities is clear in Atlantic Canada. Sustainable fisheries provide stable employment year-after-year for harvesters, processors and the many businesses that support our industry.

This provides stability, and confidence that access to the resources of today will continue as long as good stewardship and responsible harvesting is practiced. We owe it to future generations to conserve the marine resources we enjoy today so that our children and grandchildren can do the same.

We are leaders in pursuing independent, third party sustainability certification offered by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). MSC is the most globally recognized program for sustainability of wild-capture seafood and meets the highest international requirements for credible certification and ecolabelling programs.

Certification is based on the most up-to-date scientific data and requires extensive independent assessments and annual independent audits that evaluate the overall sustainability of the fishery. These certificates enable our products to enter premium markets around the world where customers increasingly seek assurance that the food they place on their plates is harvested and produced in a responsible, sustainable, and ethical manner.

When the abundance of a fish population is below the optimal level, we initiate Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) in collaboration with international/national conservation organizations. These projects serve as a roadmap to address gaps in management measures that may be crucial for long-term sustainability.

Our commitment goes beyond establishing conservative catch limits. We are also leaders in establishing protection of vulnerable marine species such as deep-water corals and sponges, and we are constantly pushing the boundaries of technology to continue to reduce contact with the seabed, and to limit our fishing footprint.