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FISH FOR OUR FUTURE
Volume 24 #4
July/August 2001
Seafood is delicious, healthy and nutritious
and today more people are incorporating it
into their diets. But when we look at a snapshot
of the world’s marine stocks, we see that
60 percent are fully fished, over-exploited,
depleted or recovering at a slow rate, according
to the United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organization.
“Seafood populations in all parts of the
world’s oceans are in trouble today and their
depletion affects us all directly as it limits
choices for us now and for future generations,”
said Scott Burns, director of the
World Wildlife Fund’s Marine Conservation
Program. “The good news is the problem is
now being tackled with a certification system
that rewards fisheries and fishermen for
practicing environmentally-sound methods
that help maintain healthy populations and
marine eco-system structures the fish need to
survive and thrive.”
As part of its commitment to offer consumers
seafood from renewable sources,
Whole Foods Market is partnering with
the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to
promote the importance of sustainable fishing
practices and provide consumers with a
certified sustainable option.
The emphasis of the “Fish For Our
Future” awareness campaign is on the first
North American seafood product to earn
MSC certification—wild Alaska salmon—which is now available during its peak season
at all 120-plus Whole Foods Market stores
nationwide. Whole Foods Market urges consumers
to “Fish For Our Future” by looking
for the MSC eco-label at the seafood counter,
which means that the product comes from a
renewable source and an environmentallysound
area.
“As one of the first U.S. companies to partner
with the MSC, Whole Foods Market has
set an example for the retail industry to take
action and reward fisheries that follow sustainable
seafood management practices,” said
Karen Tarica, U.S. Communications Director
for MSC. “Whole Foods Market is also setting
an example for consumers by taking a leadership
role in the area of sustainable seafood by
not only providing consumers with the best
environmental choice in seafood, but also
explaining why it is important.
Consumers can play an important role in
fisheries adopting sustainable practices.
When shoppers seek out and buy certified,
sustainably-managed fish and seafood,
they are sending a clear message with their
dollars—which is a tangible incentive for the
fishing industry—that fisheries practicing
environmentally-sound, economical and
socially-responsible fishery management
practices will be rewarded in the marketplace.
“Whole Foods Market actively supports
initiatives that allow marine life to recover
and flourish and we constantly look to
provide our customers with seafood from
well-managed sources,” said Steve Parkes,
national seafood coordinator for Whole
Foods Market. “We applaud the certification
program backed by the MSC as it gives our
customers the buying power to influence the
management of fisheries as well as the confidence
that purchasing MSC label-bearing
products will not contribute to over fishing
or the harming of marine ecosystems.”
Whole Foods Market stores nationwide
are providing educational materials about the
importance of sustainable seafood practices
and wild Alaska salmon summer recipes.
Select stores will also host celebrity chefs who
will conduct demos and offer tips on salmon
preparation.
Wild Alaska salmon has a more vibrant
color and robust flavor when compared to
farm-raised salmon. The rich, buttery flavor
and texture can be attributed to the icy coldwaters that the wild salmon swims in, adding
an extra insulating layer of fat around the
meat, which is full of omega-3 fatty acids
(the good fat that helps lower cholesterol).
The vibrant color comes from the wonderful
natural diet of the salmon which includes
shrimp, krill, squid and herring.
The difference between sustainable
seafood and regular seafood is that sustainable
seafood, such as wild Alaska salmon,
comes from a well-managed source. That
means that fishermen follow practices that
allow the fish population to grow and thrive
rather than be depleted. Some day we would
like to say that all seafood comes from wellmanaged
sources.
To help fund future projects for the MSC,
Whole Foods Market is donating partial
proceeds from the sale of select Whole Foods
Market branded products that complement
the preparation of wild Alaska salmon. Each
product is identified with signage indicating
that purchasing the product benefits the MSC
certification programs, enabling the MSC to
continue to help other fisheries adopt sustainable
practices and ultimately making it
easier for consumers to buy more and more
sustainably-harvested seafood.
Everyone can help support healthier
oceans and improved management of our
oceans’ resources by:
- Looking for the MSC sustainability logo on seafood products, including wild
Alaska salmon. By doing so, you are voting for sustainability with your dollars.
- Visiting “Take Action Centers” at all Whole Foods Markets for the latest
information on sustainability issues.
- Knowing your elected officials and how they vote on environmental issues. Let them know seafood sustainability is an important issue to you.
Volunteering for restoration projects with
environmental groups such as the World
Wildlife Fund, Ocean Trust, the Nature
Conservancy and National Audubon Society.
A few hours of your time can make a big
difference.
It’s important for consumers to know the
source of their food. None of Whole Foods
Market’s suppliers use or feed their stocks
preservatives, artificial colorings, antibiotics
or hormones.
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