Sustainability - Sustaining Fisheries Management at Clover Leaf Seafoods

Clover Leaf’s primary business is in seafood. We support global policies and management initiatives that ensure the long-term sustainability of these resources.

For more than one hundred years, we’ve set the standard in quality seafood. And as an industry leader, Clover Leaf is also committed to leading the way in preserving the world’s aquatic resources for future generations.

No single aspect is more important, or more central, to Clover Leaf’s sustainability program than ensuring the responsible harvesting and management of fisheries from which we source—this is not only important to the environment and our consumers, but for our business as well. Our corporate sustainability platform adopted in 2005 has become a key focal point driving internal behavior and how we conduct business across the globe.

Our program also addresses waste reduction and resource conservation throughout our global processing operations, our purchasing programs and our logistics practices. We are committed to effecting change that will preserve our precious resources for generations to come.

Our Scientific Approach

Science is at the core of our approach to fisheries management and independent, science-based assessments of stocks are a key component in ensuring the sourcing of sustainable seafood. We have engaged third party experts to assess our various fisheries to determine if they are being managed in a sustainable manner. Our assessments are based on the latest scientific stock assessments completed by various national and international research bodies and they encompass a number of criteria including:

• Assessment of the target stock status.
• Assessment of the impact on non-target stocks and related eco-systems.
• Review of on-going fisheries management platforms currently in place.
• Review of enforcement practices and compliance measures.
• Development of recommendations to improve fishery management practices.

Our grading process for these assessments aligns with United Nations guidelines and takes into account the above criteria.

Clover Leaf ceases participation in fisheries where overfishing is occurring and the fishery is overfished and management actions are not in place to return the fishery to a sustainable state.

Third Party Assessments

Independent, science-based assessments of stocks are critical to ensuring the sourcing of sustainable seafood.

We have completed sustainability assessments of the four fisheries (tuna, salmon, sardines and clams) that constitute the largest percentage of shelf stable seafood we sell domestically and we will complete assessments for other fisheries in which we participate in the next several years.

Please click on the links below to read the assessment report for the various fisheries.

Tuna

1. Introduction
2. Status of stocks by species
   - Status of Stocks Report text
3. Bycatch and discards
4. Fishing Methods
5. International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) Update
6. Conservation and management

Sardines

• Sardines (Herring)

Clams

• Quahog Clams

Salmon

• Salmon

Surimi

• The surimi seafood that Clover Leaf offers is made from a blend of Alaska Pollock and Pacific hake harvested by U.S. vessels in the federally managed waters off Alaska and the Pacific Coast. Fished under strict seasonal quotas and closely monitored by onboard federal observers, both fisheries are considered models of responsible fisheries management and both have been independently certified “sustainable” by the internationally recognized Marine Stewardship Council.

Alaska’s salmon fisheries are recognized worldwide as amongst the healthiest, best managed and most sustainable and have achieved the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) Certification for Sustainable Fisheries. This certification comes after extensive, science-based assessments by independent experts who, in close consultation with staff of the Alaska Department of Fish & Game, review technical information, management policies and stakeholder input.

Additional information regarding Alaska’s approach to seafood sustainability can be found at: http://www.alaskaseafood.org/sustainability/. Alaska is a major source of our salmon.

Sustainability Leadership

In addition to our internal efforts, Clover Leaf actively participates in a broad range of fishery management organizations. These organizations include the four Regional Fishing Management Organizations (RFMO’s) for tuna, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, National Fisheries Institute Tuna Council, and the Fishery Council of Canada. Clover Leaf is also a Food Marketing Institute Sustainable Seafood Supplier Council member.

Clover Leaf is also proud to be a founding member of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF). ISSF, formed in March 2009, is a global partnership among scientists, tuna processors representing approximately 3/4 of the world’s shelf stable tuna production, and WWF, the global conservation organization.

ISSF mission: Undertake science-based initiatives for the long term sustainability of tuna stocks, reduction of by-catch and promotion of ecosystem health, largely by supporting the conservation recommendations of tuna Regional Fisheries Management Organizations' (RFMO) scientific committees.

The ISSF, with the market power of its participants, is committed to bringing about positive change in the management of tuna fisheries. In its first year of existence, ISSF participants have:

• Agreed to not purchase from vessels engaging in illegal, unreported, & unregulated fishing;
• Agreed to trace-ability standards for “capture to plate” tracking;
• Provided RFMO’s access to fishing data;
• Positively influenced conservation measures for eastern Pacific Bigeye;
• Pledged funds for Sea Turtle conservation in long line fishing;
• Urged the Atlantic RFMO to enact conservation measures for North Atlantic albacore and to perform stock assessments of Mediterranean albacore.

For more information about ISSF and their proactive initiatives, visit www.iss-foundation.org.

Clover Leaf is on the forefront of tackling this important issue. Our brand is the oldest seafood brand in Canada, having been established in 1889. We are confident that our leadership and our actions will ensure the long term sustainability of the fisheries that we depend on.