Canadian grocer will sell certified farmed salmon
Most salmon farmers using conventional technology in compliance with the region’s regulatory regime would argue that their operations are environmentally friendly and sustainable. And an initiative is underway by a list of Who’s Who in the salmon farming world- including the tree main operators in British Columbia (Marine Harvest, Cermaq and Grieg Seafood)- where the objectives are:
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Bring together global farmed salmon producers and other industry stakeholders to strive towards significantly improving the sustainability of salmon farming
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Cooperation to continue to outperform other sources of animal protein in terms of contribution to human health, environmental responsibility, and efficient feed conversion rate, and to be widely recognized for this accomplishment
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Achieve the highest standards of corporate citizenship in the regions where members operate
- Translate environmental and social sustainability into greater economic sustainability through enhanced social license and market acceptance.
The Global Salmon Initiative is already supplying farmed Atlantic salmon certified under the ASC program, and its goal is to have most of its members’ facilities certified.
According to a recent article by The Canadian Press/ CBC News, “Loblaws will be the first North American supermarket chain to stock Atlantic salmon certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. The group introduced new strict standards last year for sustainably farmed Atlantic salmon, Arctic char, shrimp, mussels and oysters”:
Loblaws will be the first retailer in North America to sell a new type of responsibly farmed salmon, an offering it hopes will differentiate grocery store chain amid intense competition from its rivals. Loblaws, which is also the country's biggest buyer and seller of seafood, said the decision to stock Atlantic salmon certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) will give customers more choice when selecting responsibly farmed fish.
The ASC is an independent, not-for-profit organization based in the Netherlands that certifies responsible seafood farms, processors and distributors around the world that produce Atlantic salmon, Arctic char, shrimp, mussels and oysters. Melanie Agopian, senior director of seafood sustainability with the supermarket chain, said only one Atlantic fish farm in Norway has been approved by the group, which introduced the standards late last year. "We are excited to bring this market to Canada," she said.
ASC a 'rigorous' standard
Currently, ASC-approved farmed Atlantic salmon is only sold in Japan and Europe. The B.C. Salmon Farmers Association says a number of Canadian farms have achieved sustainability certification through other agencies, with three fish farms aiming to achieve ASC standards by 2020. "It shows the feasibility and that the industry is moving in that direction, but it is a rigorous standard," said Agopian.
ASC-certified farms address social and environmental concerns, such as waste production, precautions to manage and stop the transfer of disease and how the feed is sourced and used. Agopian said the Atlantic salmon will be sold at fresh fish counters at select Loblaws and Zehrs stores in Ontario and Quebec, beginning in early April. It already sells ASC-approved tilapia and says it only sells seafood at its stores from sustainable sources. About 60 per cent of all fish sold in Loblaws is farmed, the company said.
'It's about differentiation'
Like other Canadian retailers, Loblaw is losing market share to domestic and foreign competitors — including Sobeys, Metro, Walmart and the newcomer Target, which entered the food business in Canada about a year ago. The retail chains have consolidated in the past year, cut prices and tried to differentiate their offerings in a bid to lure in more customers. Kevin Grier doesn't think this latest move by Loblaws is necessarily due to consumer demand for responsibly farmed fish but rather an attempt by the food giant to stand out against its competitors. "Store after store, it's about differentiation of the product and differentiation [of] the store," said Grier, senior market analyst with the George Morris Centre, an independent economic research centre in Guelph, Ont., focused on agriculture and food.
He said that consumers are more concerned about the safety of their food and price rather than whether farming practices meet any globally accepted standards. "It's not due to consumer demand. [The industry] keeps on telling them it's something to worry about, and they will, eventually," Grier added.
