Coalition of Importers Leads Sustainability Initiatives Overseas

February 3, 2012 Washington, DC Four more crab companies have joined the National Fisheries Institutes Crab Council. Now comprised of 16 of the largest U.S. crab importing companies, the coalition is dedicated to the sustainability of blue swimming crab and funds fisheries improvement efforts in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The latest editions to the coalition are Bonamar Corporation, Mazzetta Company, Stavis Seafoods and Quirch Foods.

We started with just a few companies around the table talking about the future of the Blue Swimming Crab fishery and now we have 16 companies all focused on sustainability, all working towards a single goal, said Council Chair Ed Rhodes of Phillips Foods. Its heartening to see this industry led effort growing and having a positive impact.

The NFI Crab Council has led the way in blue swimming crab sustainability efforts by not only funding projects but adopting measures that ensure its participating companies include a minimum size in their sourcing policies and support controls to limit the purchase of egg-bearing female crabs.

We tellcompanies who we work with that NFI Crab Council members are helping improve blueswimming crab fisheries, and are responsible suppliers, said Howard Johnson,Directorof Global Programs for the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership. The fact that the group is growing and building its membership means that more attention and more resources will be devoted to protecting these populations.

The Council was started in 2009 and charges its members a quarterly assessment based on the amount of blue swimming crab they import and it uses those resources to fund fisheries improvement plans. To date, the group has also received outside financial support from the World Bank and the Walton Family Foundation.

Contact Information

Gavin Gibbons
(703) 752-8891
ggibbons@nfi.org