Chicken of the Sea Frozen Foods (COSFF) has made another step in its commitment to social responsibility policies where it sources its products, the company announced on Monday.
Together with its sister company, Taprobane Seafoods (TSF), COSFF worked to establish a sustainable crab fishery in the war-torn Mannar region to create jobs locally.
The 25-year civil war in Sri Lanka has resulted in hundreds of thousands of Internally Displaced People (IDP) and war widows who typically become outcasts in the community with little government or private support. Chicken of the Sea and TSF have entered into a commitment with the International Labor Organization and the United Nations Development Program to create employment opportunities for members of the community to process locally caught crab.
The jobs will increase the demand for crabs, which is having a significant financial impact on the local economy. Currently, TSF employs more than 450 workers in some of the worst war-affected areas in Sri Lanka.
“Over the coming months, we’re planning to work with NGOs, other private sector companies and the local community to provide additional fishing equipment such as new boats, engines and crab nets,” said Carlos Faria, VP of operations for COSFF. “This will provide the people with an opportunity to rebuild an area devastated by war.”
