Ocean Wise joins 26 other industry leaders for Federal action on seafood traceability

Last week, Ocean Wise added its name to a call for the federal government to commit to a timeline and plan that will fulfill its 2019 promise to implement boat-to-plate traceability for seafood in Canada. 

The letter, released on March 22, 2022, was signed by 26 grocery chains, seafood industry stakeholders, and experts and delivered to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The letter was spearheaded by SeaChoice, a collaboration of the David Suzuki Foundation, Ecology Action Centre and Living Oceans Society, and Oceana Canada and has been signed by numerous retailers, suppliers and distributors from across Canada, including other like-minded NGOs like Ocean Wise. Currently, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans is studying seafood traceability in Canada.  

The letter asks that the current minimum standard be expanded to ensure seafood products are fully traceable from point of harvest to point of final sale, including key information: who, what, where, when, and how (details of fishing, farming, processing, and distribution). It also asks that a plan and clear timeline is put into place for this important initiative to become a reality.  

The path of seafood from catch to Canadian’s plates is a complex one. Accurate traceability supports sustainability and the long-term viability of Canada’s seafood supply chains, and other global fisheries we are purchasing seafood from. It also fights the issues that result from a lack of transparency in the seafood supply chain. These issues include fraud, species mislabelling, human rights abuses, and illegal and destructive fishing practices.  

This call aligns with Ocean Wise’s mission to end overfishing by empowering consumers and businesses to choose sustainable seafood that support healthy oceans today and into the future. Ensuring Canadians have access to accurate, detailed information about the origin and method of production of their seafood is essential to protecting fishery resources now and into the future.  

Read the official release from SeaChoice and Oceana Canada here.