The North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group (NAPA) has secured its first member company from the United States, with retailer Fishwife coming the latest addition to the supply chain coalition that landed organisations from Canada, Italy and Australia earlier this year.
Female-founded and led Fishwife looks to bring ethically-sourced, premium tinned seafood to the North American table by sourcing from responsibly-managed fisheries and aquaculture farms. Since the company’s first year in business in 2021, it has grown by 200% year-on-year, mostly driven by word-of-mouth.
It has also been recognised as the brand “leading America’s tinned fish renaissance”.
“Fishwife has decided to join NAPA to have a voice in the fight for responsible fisheries management in the Northeast Atlantic. Our business relies on the cooperative management of fisheries all over the world, including the Northeast Atlantic mackerel fishery, and we’re committed to working alongside our fellow seafood industry partners to ensure the present and future health of these fisheries. It’s an honour to be the first American partner of NAPA, and we look forward to furthering our mission of expanding access to responsibly-sourced seafood,” Fishwife Co-founder and CEO Becca Millstein said.
NAPA Project Lead Dr Tom Pickerell said the collective of supply chain businesses was delighted to welcome Fishwife.
“Gaining our first member from the US is a key milestone. It demonstrates the global relevance of NAPA’s mission – buyers, processors, and consumers everywhere want to see coastal states take cooperative action to agree quota shares that are in line with scientific advice, and commit to long-term management plans for these vital, valuable stocks.”
NAPA was launched in 2019, in response to loss of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for Northeast Atlantic mackerel, Atlanto-Scandian herring, and blue whiting, and an emergent trend for unilateral quota-setting above the scientific advice within the Northeast Atlantic region.
Since its inception, NAPA has attracted a range of household name retailers and supply chain businesses operating all over the world, including Tesco, M&S, Aldi, Young’s Seafood, Skretting and Princes – representing more than an €800 million share of Northeast Atlantic pelagic seafood purchasing power.
