NEWS RELEASE

Loblaw seafood policy a good start but needs work, says SeaChoice

For immediate release May 21, 2009

VANCOUVER, HALIFAX – Loblaw’s new sustainable seafood policy is a positive step but needs to be expanded to provide consumers with more opportunities to make truly sustainable decisions, according to SeaChoice, Canada’s national sustainable seafood program.

“Loblaw’s commitment to focus its seafood purchasing on more sustainable seafood products is a very positive step. All Canadian retailers must adopt similar programs if we hope to protect the health of our oceans,” said Bill Wareham, SeaChoice representative and marine conservation specialist with the David Suzuki Foundation.

“Loblaw’s policy, however, lacks details on how it will improve customer awareness about sustainable seafood options and how Loblaw will support reforms to unsustainable fisheries,” Wareham said.

The grocer also has yet to explain how and when it will eliminate red-listed or unsustainable products from its stores, or how it will train staff on sustainable seafood issues, according to Wareham.

As part of a new initiative announced Wednesday, Loblaw has committed to stock seafood products certified by the U.K.-based Marine Stewardship Council(MSC) as being supplied by “a sustainable and well managed fishery”. In contrast, SeaChoice assesses and ranks a broad range of seafood products as green, yellow or red, depending on the type of seafood and how and where it was caught or farmed.

SeaChoice is concerned that Loblaw is limiting customers’ awareness of and access to sustainable seafood if they choose to profile only those products that have undergone certification by MSC.

“It’s good that Loblaw stores will be stocking MSC-certified seafood, but those products make up a small portion of the available sustainable seafood supply,” said Susanna Fuller, conservation specialist with the Ecology Action Center. “We feel Loblaw stores should provide more information and better product labelling on seafood as a whole so that consumers can make informed choices when buying any seafood product,” Fuller said.

SeaChoice is committed to working with Loblaw, their seafood suppliers and environmental partners like WWF Canada to help realize successful implementation and expansion of the scope of their sustainable seafood program.

For more information, please contact:

Susanna Fuller, Conservation Specialist, Ecology Action Center, Halifax, NS (902) 429-2202

Bill Wareham, Conservation Specialist, David Suzuki Foundation, Vancouver, BC (604) 740-4318