Award is First for FISH in Canada
San Diego, CA— November 30, 2023— FISH Standard for Crew Inc. is pleased to announce seven vessels of the Clearwater Seafoods fleet have been awarded FISH certification. The fleet comprises Canadian flagged clam, lobster, and scallop harvesting vessels operating in Canadian waters in the northwest Atlantic. Certification body MRAG Americas awarded the certification after extensive policy and procedure review, on-site vessel inspections, and face-to-face interviews of crew members.
“We are very proud to be the first Canadian company to attain FISH certification, a recognition that is consistent with Clearwater’s commitment to our people, from ocean to plate,” said Christine Penney, Clearwater Seafoods Vice President Sustainability and Public Affairs. “FISH’s independent certification process demonstrates to our customers and other stakeholders that our fleet has achieved the highest levels of performance with respect to crew treatment, compensation and onboard conditions.”
“Congratulations to Clearwater. FISH ultimately seeks to better the conditions for fishers and to serve as a credible, third-party tool that organizations like Clearwater can use to validate their commitments to, and care of, their fishers.” noted Fridrik Fridriksson, chair of the FISH’s Board of Directors and Chief Human Resources Officer at Brim.
Retailers and food service operators are increasingly committed to providing seafood to their consumers that is not only environmentally sustainable, but also harvested by crew who are treated with respect and fairness. The third-party verification that comes with FISH certification gives this confidence to the buyers and consumers of seafood coming from organizations such as Clearwater Seafoods.
Clearwater joins Nueva Pescanova’s NovaNam fleet in Namibia, APA Alaska catcher-processor vessels, PPLP Alaska motherships and tuna purse seiners of the Fishing Industry Association Papua New Guinea in successfully attaining FISH certification. FISH is actively working with organizations and fleets around the world.
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FISH Standard for Crew provides a voluntary, independent and accredited third-party certification program for labour practices on vessels in wild-capture fisheries around the globe. The FISH Standard is based on ILO-C188 and related guidance.
Clearwater Seafoods is one of North America’s largest vertically-integrated seafood companies. It is recognized globally for its superior quality, food safety, diversity of species and reliable worldwide delivery of premium wild, eco-certified seafood, including scallops, lobster, clams, coldwater shrimp, langoustine, whelk and crab. Clearwater is proudly Indigenous owned Clearwater is equally owned and controlled by the Mi’kmaq Coalition and Premium Brands, with each shareholder participating equally in all aspects of the company including governance, operations, and financial revenues.
MRAG Americas is a private consulting and auditing company focused on activities that support the conservation of marine and freshwater ecosystems through responsible, rational and sustainable use of fish and other aquatic resources. They are an accredited Conformity Assessment Body, authorized to carry out FISH Standard for Crew assessments and certifications.
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