Blue Circle Foods, based out of Washington, D.C., has become the International Pole & Line Foundation’s (IPNLF) 37th member, joining the nonprofit's efforts to enhance fisheries through the supply of responsibly sourced tuna procured one at a time.
Blue Circle is a premier supplier of frozen and fresh seafood to chefs, artisan retailers and exclusive distributors. The company has been focusing on traceability, animal welfare, food safety and quality since it first opened in 2005, and continues to be a leading advocate for Maldives’ handline-caught tuna, according to the company.
“We endeavor to promote healthy, delicious seafood while also serving as good stewards of nature’s resources. Whether we get our seafood from pristine fjords in Norway or from turquoise Maldivian Ocean waters – in the case of the tuna that we source – we ensure our partners employ industry-leading humane practices, top-notch traceability and protect the environment,” Blue Circle President Bill Cole said in a news release.
“Our membership of the International Pole & Line Foundation is a further extension of our commitment to safeguarding global tuna stocks, in particular those coastal communities that depend upon one-by-one fisheries for their livelihoods,” he added.
Blue Circle has enacted what it calls an organic approach to both wild-caught and farmed seafood, making its values align well with those celebrated by IPNLF, Cole said.
“The International Pole & Line Foundation is delighted to welcome the membership and support of Blue Circle, a company that’s extremely passionate about ensuring North American consumers are provided with top-quality seafood products that also meet the strictest environmental, social and traceability standards,” IPNHL Policy and Outreach Director Adam Baske said. “This latest commitment demonstrates the growing momentum in the North American marketplace to support sustainable and ethical one-by-one tuna fisheries around the world.”
