Metro Announces Seafood Sustainability Commitment

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MONTREAL — Grocery operators continue to provide competition to restaurant operators with increasingly high-end prepared meals, and now the Metro chain is introducing a new sustainable fisheries policy.

“Metro’s sustainable fisheries policy is an important milestone in its history. This initiative is proof that we want to go beyond the simple role of distributor and become a player in sustainable development,” said Robert Sawyer, executive vice-president and COO of the grocery chain. “The adoption of a sustainable fisheries policy is consistent with our corporate responsibility approach.”

Seven threatened species of seafood products — including Atlantic cod (West), bluefin tuna, orange roughy, Chilean seabass, New Zealand hoki, skate and shark — have already been withdrawn from Metro stores.

And, to provide better “traceability” Metro has created a new labelling system that, along with the information normally found on a label, will feature the products scientific name, its origin, the fishing type and the presence of a standard.

The new policy ensures the following: procurement will be limited to fishing areas and species whose renewal is ensured; fisheries and aquafarms supplying Metro will be required to prove they use sustainable fishing methods; the supply chain process must be documented to allow for informative and transparent labelling; and Metro’s decisions will take into account local economic issues.

The changes will transpire gradually across Metro supermarkets and discount markets in Ontario and Quebec, with total implementation earmarked for June 2011.

For more information and Metro’s complete sustainable fisheries policy, click here.

 

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