The Fishin' Company
When it comes to protecting the environment, ecosystems, and the planet, Munhall, Pennsylvania-based seafood supplier The Fishin’ Company is steadfast and devoted.
“We believe it is our duty as good stewards of the earth to do all that we can to continually improve the world and the industry around us,” the company’s website states. “Irresponsible fishing, reckless aquaculture production, and unreliable processing practices have caused significant damage to our oceans, to our environment, and to people across the world. We believe our strict sourcing practices, the various resources we have put into improving aquaculture production and wild fisheries, and our partnerships with NGOs will continue to move the industry in the right direction.”
One of the largest importers of tilapia and frozen fish, The Fishin’ Co. considers a set of stringent procurement policies when sourcing seafood from both wild-caught and aquaculture operations. The company has committed to partnering with fisheries that are either Marine Stewardship Council-certified or in pre-assessment; possess Global Seafood Sustainability Initiative (GSSI) recognized certifications; taking part in a fishery improvement project (FIP); or rated “Green” or “Yellow” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program. As for aquaculture operations, The Fishin’ Co. sources from producers who are either Best Aquaculture Practices-certified; Aquaculture Stewardship Council- certified; are taking part in an aquaculture improvement project (AIP); or have a “Green” or “Yellow” Seafood Watch rating.
The company uniquely embraces technology in its sustainability approach with future-forward strategies that help it fulfill its “vision of being an exceptionally reliable partner,” The Fishin’ Co. Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer Sarah Bradt told SeafoodSource.
“We set ourselves apart in the marketplace by ensuring our seafood offerings and product sources always meet all sustainability requirements for our customers and our high standards,” Bradt said. “Additionally, having sustainable sources of products allow us to be reliable by ensuring there is always product available for our customers. We provide this assurance first by using technology to map our entire supply chain. Our end-to-end digital traceability system allows us the capture all key data elements throughout the supply chain. Applying technology to provide traceability of our raw material helps us validate the raw material meets our sustainability requirements.”
The Fishin’ Co. Director of Sustainability Justin Baugh is a steering committee member of the Global Dialogue for Seafood Traceability (GDST) – which published its first set of basic technical standards to allow for interoperability across seafood traceability platforms in March 2020. Baugh said the company is invested in using technology as a tool to map and validate highly diverse supply chains.
“This trend needs to continue to evolve to enable the industry to monitor real-time progress and identify areas of concern, since it can be challenging to track the origin of raw material,” he said. “The Fishin’ Company has been making steady progress over the last two years to develop an end-to-end digital traceability system that encompasses our diverse wild-caught and farm-raised supply chains.”
In the technological sphere, seafood sustainability’s path forward will be dependent on “increasing commitment and adoption of universal traceability and sustainability standards,” according to Bradt.
“The acceleration and unification of these standards across every stage in the supply chain of our industry will facilitate transparency and drive innovation,” Bradt said. “The Fishin’ Company has been vigilant in its support of the development of standards as a steering member of the GDST and has formally committed to implementing the 1.0 standards released in March of this year.”
In addition to its traceability ambitions and procurement requirements, people and partnerships also factor significantly into The Fishin’ Co.’s approach to sustainability. The firm sits on the boards of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership and the National Fisheries Institute. It also participates and funds several FIPs in regions and species around the world. Key partners for the company include the Global Aquaculture Alliance, MSC, SFP, the Global Seafood Sustainability Initiative, NFI, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
The Fishin’ Co. is also dedicated to social responsibility and following “global social compliance standards aimed at promoting and protecting human rights, the environment, and the communities involved,” the company said. It also “regularly assesses every part of our supply chain to safeguard that these standards are followed.”
“We view this as a fundamental responsibility to our customers and our duty as a catalyst for positive change in the industry,” Bradt explained. “From recruiting the right talent to developing our supply chain partners, we want people motivated to make a difference. Our highest priority is to guarantee that every person in our supply chain is treated with the utmost respect and dignity.”
The Fishin’ Company’s compliance team approaches social responsibility with a commitment toward ten key principles, listed here.
