SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Bumble Bee Seafood Company and parent company FCF CO., LTD. (FCF), today announced that it will be entering two new Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) longline fishery assessments. These assessments come as a result of two years of implementation of Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) action plans led by Bumble Bee, non-profit organization Ocean Outcomes and FCF jointly, which work to protect the abundance of tuna stocks, mitigate fishing impact on other species, and ensure that fisheries are monitored and well-managed. Once certified, these longline vessels will begin supplying MSC certified albacore, yellowfin and bigeye tuna in 2023.
Last year, Bumble Bee debuted the first annual Seafood Future Report, renewing the company’s commitment and response to sustainability and social responsibility and setting bold goals for the future. Together with FCF, Bumble Bee committed to ensuring that all seafood sourced would be externally recognized as sustainable or in a formal program moving toward certification by 2025.
Now, less than one year later, Bumble Bee and FCF have truly become stronger together and are proud to announce the two new longline assessments which will span multiple nations – including Taiwan, Fiji, Vanuatu, and others – three oceans, three tuna species and more than 250 longline vessels with a goal of completion by the end of 2022. The longline fishery assessments cover predominantly albacore tuna and represent approximately 50 percent of the entire albacore tuna production for The Bumble Bee Seafood Company.
“Our purpose is simple, important and two-fold. We want to help feed the world and protect our oceans and we can’t do the first without focusing on the second,” said Jan Tharp, President and CEO, The Bumble Bee Seafood Company. “MSC certification is a key pathway to achieving this and with FCF as our partner, we have been able to accelerate our certification efforts and move more quickly and efficiently toward meeting the goals we set last year.”
The two longline fishery assessments will be certified against the three core principles and 28 scoring indicators set out in the MSC Fisheries Standard by conformity assessment body, Control Union. The three core principals are: sustainable fish stocks, minimizing environmental impact, and effective fishery management. MSC is the only global wild-capture fisheries certification program that simultaneously meets best practice requirements set by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) and International Social and Environmental. MSC sets the Fishery Standard but is not involved in the full assessment being conducted by the independent assessor.
“This is a big step forward for Bumble Bee and FCF,” said Max Chou, President, FCF CO., LTD. “But it is just one step in our continued commitment to unwavering focus on restoring and protecting the health of oceans.”
ABOUT THE BUMBLE BEE SEAFOOD COMPANY
The Bumble Bee Seafood Company is passionately pursuing its purpose of feeding people’s lives through the power of the ocean. The iconic 120-year-old fishing company consistently aims to deliver delicious, healthy, and affordable food to consumers while working hard to find new ways to protect the ocean and those that rely on it. Bumble Bee is firmly anchored in a commitment to connect the world to the ocean by re-defining sourcing, producing, and enjoying products from and inspired by the ocean.
Bumble Bee’s full line of seafood and specialty protein products are marketed in the U.S., Canada and over 50 markets globally under leading brands including Bumble Bee®, Brunswick®, Clover Leaf®, Snow’s®, Wild Selections® and Beach Cliff®. For more information about the company, visit TheBumbleBeeCompany.com. For product information, visit www.BumbleBee.com.
