Most Canadian retailers are not doing enough to tackle human rights abuses in seafood supply chains, according to sustainability watchdog, SeaChoice.
Despite years of accounts and exposés of slavery, forced labour, human trafficking and other abuses, retailers’ actions continue to be inadequate and untraceable, says SeaChoice on its fourth update on Seafood Progress, an online platform monitoring the practices of major Canadian retailers.
SeaChoice is a seafood partnership comprising three conservation groups – David Suzuki Foundation, Ecology Action Centre and Living Oceans. Its supply chain analyst, Dana Cleaveley, said that the Covid-19 pandemic had increased the profitability of Canadian grocers. “Retailers have more opportunity than ever to put at least as much emphasis on social responsibility and environmental sustainability as they do on profits,” she said.
“Retailers need to do more to meet their customers’ expectations of legally and responsibly made products through active due diligence and effective traceability,” she added.
This May, three retailers sent letters to the federal government supporting development of an effective boat-to-plate traceability system for all seafood sold in Canada. The lack of this traceability makes it far too easy to support slavery and irresponsible fishing practices in seafood supply chains and retailers have a large part to play in promoting this regulation, argues SeaChoice.
“Better ways to trace seafood from harvest to plate will benefit consumers, businesses and sustainability,” said Christina Callegari, Ecology Action Centre sustainable seafood co-ordinator and SeaChoice representative, said. “It will also help reduce mislabelling,” she added.
