California non-profit FishWise has celebrated its 15-year anniversary and contributions to sustainability and corporate social responsibility amongst seafood companies.
The Santa-Cruz based organisation, which has been working with independent grocers and major retailers to collect and share more information about the sustainability, legality, and social responsibility of seafood products since it was established in 2003, hosted an open house event attended by hundreds of local community members to mark the occasion.
“Over time, due to the seafood industry’s global nature, FishWise has expanded its reach and influence to tackle emerging sustainability issues in national and international fisheries and aquaculture operations,” commented FishWise CEO Tobias Aguirre. “The work of our business engagement, traceability, data, social responsibility, and learning teams reflects a comprehensive approach to advancing seafood that is environmentally and socially responsible.”
Corporate engagement
Among the organisation’s significant accomplishments is the development of durable sustainability programs with its business partners – from Santa Cruz-based New Leaf Community Markets to national retailers like Albertsons Companies, Target Inc. and Hy-Vee – driving market demand for responsibly sourced seafood.
FishWise senior project director Sara Lewis said: “In the past year FishWise has worked directly with mid-supply chain companies to improve their counter-illegal fishing practices, led the Seafood Alliance for Legality and Traceability (SALT) with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and collaborated with our fellow NGOs to create traceability tools and guidance for companies.”
