Phillips Foods and Seafood Restaurants on Monday announced that Ed Rhodes was named VP of sustainability and aquaculture development.
Rhodes, who has been with Phillips for four years as co-director of the aquaculture and sustainability division, assumed the newly created role on 1 May.
Rhodes will guide efforts in a number of sustainability areas. A main focus will continue to be programs in Asia to improve fisheries for blue swimming crab, which is the mainstay of products used for the company’s foodservice, retail and restaurants divisions. Rhodes also chairs the National Fisheries Institute Crab Council.
In addition to the work with crab fisheries, Rhodes heads up the Phillips team responsible for evaluating the sustainability status of other seafood in the Phillips line. He leads company efforts to monitor and reduce energy and water use in the 17 seafood plants the company operates worldwide.
“Much of our future supply of seafood is going to come from aquaculture,” said Rhodes. “We already have a medium-sized farm for barramundi in Indonesia, but we know it is important to continue finding opportunities to build sustainable aquaculture.”
“Addressing seafood sustainability is not only the right thing to do, it’s also good business,” said Phillips CEO Steve Phillips. “We’ve been at the forefront of sustainability in our industry, and it was time to recognize its importance with a more senior position for Ed Rhodes.”
