PLEASANTON, Calif.--()--Safeway Inc., one of the nation’s largest grocery retailers, today announced it will join forces with FishWise – a non-profit organization focused on improving the sustainability and financial performance of seafood retailers, distributors, and producers – to develop and implement a more comprehensive sustainable seafood policy. The partnership will strengthen Safeway’s earlier commitments to environmentally responsible seafood by requiring suppliers to participate in sustainability assessments and sourcing improvement plans, training staff on the company’s sustainability policy, and providing science-based information on sustainable seafood to Safeway customers.
“FishWise commends Safeway’s progress on seafood sustainability and looks forward to working together to develop and execute these plans. We believe Safeway is an industry leader in establishing responsible business practices and we are eager to demonstrate how this can lead to verifiable conservation gains”
“We look forward to working with FishWise,” said Jim Bluming, Vice President, Seafood Marketing. “We hope this partnership will lead to a more sustainable product selection for our customers as well as improved transparency with our suppliers, and ultimately, healthy oceans and freshwater ecosystems for future generations.”
By deploying a detailed sourcing assessment on behalf of Safeway, FishWise will prioritize suppliers and products for environmental improvement plans. These plans will be developed and implemented over the coming years, helping Safeway’s seafood procurement to become more sustainable over time. Safeway will implement a traceability system to screen out suppliers of seafood products not meeting Safeway’s new sustainable seafood policy. In addition, Safeway has agreed to discontinue the sale of grouper, red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), and monkfish until these overfished stocks recover. FishWise will also draw upon its experience working with other leading retailers to develop a staff training program on the key components of seafood sustainability.
“FishWise commends Safeway’s progress on seafood sustainability and looks forward to working together to develop and execute these plans. We believe Safeway is an industry leader in establishing responsible business practices and we are eager to demonstrate how this can lead to verifiable conservation gains,” said Tobias Aguirre, Executive Director of FishWise.
The agreement between Safeway and FishWise is consistent with the Common Vision for Environmentally Sustainable Seafood. Common Vision is an ambitious, but realistic guide to environmentally responsible seafood for businesses, developed by more than fifteen of North America’s leading ocean conservation organizations.
ABOUT SAFEWAY www.Safeway.com
Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 50 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers in North America, based on sales. The company operates 1,730 stores in the United States and western Canada and had annual sales of $44.1 billion in 2008. The company’s common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SWY. Safeway supports a broad range of charitable and community programs and in 2009 donated more than $250 million to important causes, such as cancer research, education, hunger relief and programs focused on assisting people with disabilities.
ABOUT FISHWISE, www.fishwise.org
FishWise, a non-profit organization based in Santa Cruz, CA. Uniquely positioned between the seafood industry and marine conservation organizations, FishWise offers a range of services that create trust between seafood vendors and their customers, enabling businesses to sell more sustainable seafood, more profitably. For more information go to: www.fishwise.org
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