Sustainability Statement
Scotia Harvest Seafoods Inc. is committed to the principles of responsible fishing and long-term sustainability of resources. We have participated in the drafting and adoption of Canada's Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing Operations (1998). Our family has been involved in the fishery for generations and we would like to ensure that the fisheries resources we have always relied upon remain healthy for generations to come. We only fish marine species managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and are committed to follow all regulations and conservation harvest plans established jointly by industry and government. Our fishery is managed using Individually Transferable Quotas (ITQs) and Enterprise Allocations (EAs). This means we are allocated a percentage of the Total Allowable Catch (TAC). The TAC is set on an annual basis based on a rigorous science programme combined with public consultations.
Most of our fishing effort is focused on NAFO Area 5Zc, also known as Georges Bank. Georges Bank is a large ecologically diverse and productive underwater trans-boundary bank shared between Canada and the United States. 90% of our haddock catch is harvested on Georges Bank, where the current stock status is experiencing a record high. This is truly a good news story. However, there is some concern for the health of the Atlantic cod stock on Georges Bank, which currently is experiencing low recruitment. Scotia Harvest Seafoods has actively supported fishing cod at fishing mortality levels well below the fishing mortality reference point on the stock to promote rebuilding. We have also supported limiting the effort on the haddock stock in order to protect the cod. We use only responsible selective fishing gear that eliminates most of the cod while retaining the abundant haddock. Using this gear has allowed us to greatly reduce the amount of cod captured while allowing us to continue to catch the haddock. To promote social accountability, we have voluntarily established 100% third-party observer coverage on our vessel with total observer costs borne entirely by Scotia Harvest Seafoods Inc.
At Scotia Harvest Seafoods Inc. we are convinced that we are doing our utmost to ensure that we continue providing you with responsibly harvested fish for generations to come. Relax and enjoy the great taste of wild caught fish from the pristine North Atlantic Ocean that we have harvested and cared for from "ocean to plate"!
