In 2008, a joint report from the World Bank and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization warned that the world’s fishermen are losing $50 billion a year because of depleted stocks and poor management of fishing areas.

Fish farming can take off some of the pressure on wild stocks—and indeed, aquaculture is the source of half of the seafood we eat today, including fish, shrimp and oysters. But there can be problems with farmed seafood, too. While some fish farms are a sustainable way of sourcing seafood, other farms are separated from wild fish by nothing but nets in open water, allowing waste and parasite infestations to possibly spread from the farmed fish and seafood to wild populations. Also, some farmed fish are fed by robbing the sea of the tiny fish that also sustain the food chain for wild species we eat.

Fortunately, new standards for farmed fish that were created in just the past few years have already made a difference. For instance, through the involvement of retailers, producers, processors and non-government organizations, there is now an international certification standard in place for farmed shrimp. The Shrimp Standard, developed starting in 2008, underlines aquaculture´s growing global expansion, and the extent to which consumers expect retailers to provide safe, sustainable and healthy seafood.

A Mainstream Issue

Seafood sustainability may have begun as a concern of save-the-earth activists and fine-dining chefs, but thanks in part to the advocacy organizations, awareness of and interest in the issue are now mainstream. Seafood sustainability is part of the larger thicket of issues around food sourcing, traceability, “green” practices and corporate social responsibility. Some examples of recent action:

• Target this year became one of the retailers to discontinue offering farmed salmon, turning to wild-caught sources instead.
• QSR Magazine recently highlighted the fact that many quick-service restaurants are beginning to pay increased attention to the sustainability of their seafood products; for instance, Long John Silver’s issued a corporate responsibility report on sustainable seafood, and McDonald’s is investing more resources into ensuring the sustainability of the fish it uses—primarily Alaskan pollock certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council.

U.S. Foodservice® and Seafood Quality and Sustainability

U.S. Foodservice has formed strategic alliances with organizations that promote sustainable seafood and is committed to the sustainability of the world’s seafood supply.  Harbor Banks and Bluewater Seafood, distributed exclusively by U.S. Foodservice; offer a variety of sustainable products. Harbor Banks was the first national distributor brand to feature the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) logo on a variety of products, testifying that these products are from fisheries that are sustainable and environmentally responsible. Harbor Banks and Bluewater seafood from MSC-certified Alaskan fisheries includes items such as keta salmon, halibut, cod and pollock. Through a strategic partnership with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and the Global Aquaculture Alliance, Harbor Banks highlights sustainable seafood from Alaska and supports the global industry. In addition, U.S. Foodservice is a member of the GLOBALGAP for Aquaculture, an international trade association that raises awareness of best aquaculture practices and facilitates certification.

For more information on the sustainability of our seafood, contact your U.S. Foodservice representative.