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David Smith (below left), Sobeys
Inc.’s Vice President of Sustainability,
chats with fisherman Wally Simpson
Skipper Raymond Chaliel,
Steveston, B.C.
There’s an old proverb
that says: “Give a man a fish
and you feed him for a day.
Teach a man to fish and feed
him for a lifetime.” The lesson is
clear – knowledge is power. The
more we know about how our
decisions affect our world, the
better equipped we are to create
positive change. To improve and
ensure the long-term viability
of wild caught and farmed
seafood, we all have a part to
play. Seafood sustainability is a
complex and ever-changing set
of issues. We want to simplify it
and make it easier for customers
to make informed seafood
buying decisions. With that
knowledge, like the man in the
proverb, we hope to feed our
customers for a lifetime.
What’s needed is a tide change.
Our action so far has included
delisting four direly endangered
species and selling nearly 50
eco-labelled seafood products.
However, we also recognize
the need to go further than eco
labels. While we fully support
eco labels and certification
programs as part of the solution
(see page 40 for more on our
eco-label program), they do not
address the most challenged
species in the short term.
“It’s the fisheries in the best
shape that are able to obtain
certification, while the more
challenged species and sources
are left to struggle,” says Smith.
Working backward from the
most challenged sources, as
opposed to starting at the top
as eco labels do, is our priority.
To help lead the charge for
this kind of change, we’ve
taken a collaborative approach:
in partnership with Sustainable
Fisheries Partnership (SFP),
A case study:
Wild B.C. salmon
Wild B.C. salmon – including favourites like sockeye, coho
and pink – is renowned for its outstanding flavour, making it
a popular choice for Canadian shoppers. Yet the annual runs
of the five major B.C. wild salmon species are unpredictable
and vary widely from year to year – to illustrate, about
29 million Fraser River sockeye salmon returned to the coast
in 2010, compared to only 1.5 million in 2009. This variability
makes it difficult to ensure that B.C wild salmon is a constant,
sustainable choice. To address this problem, Sobeys Inc.,
along with our suppliers, has aligned with the Wild Salmon
Policy, an undertaking by Fisheries and Oceans Canada that
aims to help restore and maintain diverse salmon populations.
It’s a significant project that involves, among other measures,
the ongoing collection and evaluation of an unprecedented
amount of information on salmon populations, spawning sites,
ecosystems and food chains. This is just one way we’re helping
to further the cause of responsible seafood sourcing.
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