The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) has announced a sustainable seafood partnership with Texas, U.S.,-based retail giant H-E-B.
The retail chain operates more than 350 H-E-B and Central Market stores across Texas with annual sales exceeding USD 20 billion (EUR).
The partnership positions EDF as H-E-B’s primary sustainability advisor for all fresh, frozen and prepared fish offerings.
H-E-B’s updated sourcing policy outlines nine ways that they are committed to providing sustainable seafood, including:
• Preferential sourcing from wild fisheries that are well-managed by catch shares, and a commitment to improve the sustainability of additional fisheries through selected fishery improvement projects
• A strengthened commitment to source farmed seafood from aquaculture operations that are either certified or soon to be certified to industry-leading standards of production
• A directed effort to support and improve the fisheries of the Gulf of Mexico, especially snapper, grouper and wild shrimp
• Setting an ultimate goal of full traceability for every seafood product that it carries
• Posting a full species inventory online, along with regularly identifying priority seafood items still in need of sustainability improvements
EDF and H-E-B began working together back in 2012 when H-E-B became the first major retailer in the Gulf to offer the GulfWild brand of red snapper. This sustainability and traceability program was created by Gulf fishermen after the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster in an effort to reassure the public that their fish was safe, responsibly-caught and trackable back to individual fishing vessels. The product can now be found in 150 H-E-B stores.
