Why We're Supporting British Mackerel
Mackerel is making headlines right now. Read our full explanation as to why we're supporting British Mackerel here:
A Truly Plastic Positive Fishery
The Azores tuna fishery leads the industry by cleaning the ocean, removing more than 1000 times more plastic from the ocean than is lost through their own operations.
Discover the first and only plastic neutral fishery in the world.
How Do You Define Sustainability?
For us sustainability requires a comprehensive and inclusive definition.
Sustainability is ecology/the environment + social factors + economic factors. We have a land, sea and people ethos, only support local boats and only allow highly targeted methods. These choices radically minimize the risk of illegal fishing and avoid all types of by-catch and the capture or harm of endangered species that are supposed to be protected under international conventions.
We are “socially aware” in our sourcing with a very direct or short supply chain and, whenever possible, we support canneries that are local to the fishing to help keep jobs and money in the local economy.
Our decision making process
Fisheries and seafood sustainability are highly complex. The way to answer that complexity is to decide a pathway or approach – and then keep evaluating and updating it. In simple terms, our approachis to ask and answer the questions: “who, what, where and how?” This opens up a pathway to make the most sustainable or responsible decision possible.
We have developed an internal traffic light system to guide our decision making
Our Triple Guarantee For Tuna
1. Pole & line is the only method of tuna fishing with no by-catch and no impact on endangered species. This method is still practised by local boats, controlled by the local authorities. It is more democratic and fairer. The usual risks of the global tuna fishing industry are practically non-existent (illegal fishing, plastic pollution, human rights abuses on fishermen and observers).
2. Naturland is a German organic farming pioneer founded in 1982 that has developed standards for small-scale fishing including an additional specification for social standards. Our Azorean tuna is the only Naturland certified tuna in the world.
3. B Corp certification assesses a company’s social, societal and environmental performance in all sectors, not just food. Our score places Fish4Ever in the top 1% for the environment and in the top 3% overall.
Fair Trade
The export of fish products from developing nations to the developed worlds exceeds in value terms the sum total of all other fair-trade commodities – coffee, bananas, tea and cacao! That’s an extraordinary fact.
Our fair-trade yellowfin tuna comes from the Laamu Atoll in the Maldives and involves 650 fishers, 33 boats,6000 million tonnes of tuna, 5 island communities, and almost US $400,000 of extra premium paid in to and managed by the community.
How Important Are Well Managed Fish Stocks?
Very important is the obvious answer.
But it’s complicated.
We need to make balanced decisions if we are sourcing from a stock that is overfished and/or badly managed. What we say is that NOT buying or selling such fish is NOT always the right answer. Sometimes it’s a completely naive approach if that fish stock has and is being overfished by other actors.
At other times stopping a supply only hurts oneself without resolving the issue; or could lead to a knock-on outcome – for example, putting too much pressure on the alternative.
Finally, the science isn’t always right. What is important is for the fish stock to be properly managed by the management system and what companies should do is make sure they are making the best decisions within their power.