The National Fisheries Institute’s (NFI) Crab Council has upped its roster to 23 companies with the latest addition of Sherrill International, Inc., a blue crab importer based out of Bridgewater, Virginia.
Founded in 2009, the NFI Crab Council funds blue swimming crab sustainability projects with contributions from participating companies. For every pound of blue swimming crab imported, Crab Council members assess a fee, with the collected revenue used to fund fishery improvement efforts in Southeast Asia.
A family-owned operation, Sherrill International has gone from a commercial crabbing company to an importer of Indonesian crabmeat over its 25-year existence, supplying the product mainly to large-scale foodservice companies.
“Sherrill International has a long history in the crab industry,” said Sherrill owner Mark Sherrill in a prepared statement. “As a company, we have moved with the market adapting to shifting supplies from the domestic to international. In joining the Crab Council, Sherrill International steps fully into crab’s next progression, a responsibly harvested, sustainability focused product.”
The Crab Council continues to go through a period of rapid expansion and change. Crab Council Chairman Brendan Sweeny sees Sherrill International’s entry into the fold as another example of the group’s diverse membership.
“The Crab Council roster ranges from established large-scale companies to specialized outfits to expanding upstarts,” said Sweeny. “We are not just one type of business, but we are all focused on one thing, crab sustainability.”
