FishWise announces partnership with seafood supplier North Atlantic, Inc. to work on supply chain sustainability and transparency
Santa Cruz, Calif. (March 6, 2017) – FishWise announced today a new partnership with Portland, Maine-based frozen seafood supplier North Atlantic, Inc. (NAI) and its Indonesian subsidiary, Bali Seafood International (BSI). This partnership aims to further advance and communicate NAI/BSI’s commitment to sustainable and socially responsible seafood while exploring new opportunities to expand their influence in the industry.
Recognizing the importance of both sustainable fisheries and communities, NAI/BSI and its partners have invested in a new initiative to build infrastructure in the Lesser Sunda region of Indonesia that will integrate numerous fishing support services, including cold chain technologies, fisheries management, and education. Their new fishery community centersare expected to generate improvements in food safety and waste, traceability, and socioeconomic indicators, alongside environmental gains. BSI will pay premiums to fishers operating through the community centers, incentivizing artisanal fishermen to adopt more responsible practices.
NAI and BSI are seeking to share this innovative commercially-sponsored fishery management model with industry and broader sustainability stakeholders given its potential value in linking artisanal fishermen directly to seafood markets and improving livelihoods throughout fishing communities. This work builds on NAI’s engagement in fishery improvement projects and traceability, as well as its long-term partnerships with retailers to direct supply chains and address critical responsible harvesting practices.
“North Atlantic has been a trusted vendor to our retail partners for many years and we are excited to begin working with them more formally,” said William Wall, FishWise Distributor Division Director. “We at FishWise are always aiming to create and promote progressive sustainability leaders. North Atlantic’s ambition is unique — they are taking direct responsibility for the wellbeing of the community in which they operate and are developing mechanisms for lasting change, which we’re keen to communicate given the potential for these efforts to serve as a model for other companies.”
By capitalizing on FishWise’s expertise and network in North America, this partnership seeks to create market recognition for the on-the-ground impact NAI/BSI is developing and to ensure fishermen are rewarded for participating in community-based fisheries management.
“North Atlantic is already demonstrating its leadership in commercially sponsored seafood sustainability and social responsibility efforts,” said Bill Stride, CEO of North Atlantic. “We are excited to share our commitments more publicly and work with FishWise to prioritize future work with our new partnership.”
The partnership will begin with a third-party baseline review of NAI/BSI’s seafood products. It will then explore opportunities for aligning NAI/BSI’s integrated work with other sustainability and social responsibility initiatives globally, while promoting their milestones along the way.
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About FishWise
FishWise is a nonprofit sustainable seafood consultancy based in Santa Cruz, CA. Uniquely positioned between the seafood industry and marine conservation organizations, FishWise offers a range of services that empower businesses and a diverse community of collaborators to lead the transition to a sustainable, responsible seafood industry. For more information, please visit www.fishwise.org, and follow FishWise’s work on Facebook and Twitter.
About North Atlantic, Inc.
North Atlantic, Inc (NAI). is an importer of wild-caught seafood serving both traditional and emerging food retail channels. Since 1986 NAI has guided top tier retailers in ensuring supply chain visibility and responsible harvesting methods. PT Bali Seafood International, subsidiary of North Atlantic, Inc., is the parent company’s local processor and leads the development of their community-based fisheries management initiative. For more information, please contact NAI at 207-774-6025 or via email at info@northatlanticseafood.com.
About Bali Seafood International
Bali Seafood International (BSI), the Indonesian subsidiary of North Atlantic Inc., is an exporter of fully traceable, wild-caught seafood. BSI has pioneered an integrated fisheries management model focusing on three key areas: 1) building local community support in pursuit of sustainable resource harvesting, 2) driving positive social impact in the communities in which it works, and 3) providing hook-to-plate transparency for its consumers.