Let’s Do Good Together

We want everyone to enjoy a variety of sustainable seafood for years to come. That’s why we’ve forged alliances with Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) and Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI). SFP evaluates the fish stock and fisheries’ impact on the broader environment. GSSI verifies credibility in seafood certifications. What does that mean for you? We’re making it easy to learn about sustainable seafood practices. Look for the responsibly or sustainably sourced icons when you purchase seafood in our stores to help us do good.

Responsibly Sourced

Wild-caught: Fish stocks are considered healthy and managed by the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership or in a credible, graded fishery improvement project (FIP).

Farm-raised: The farm level of the supply chain is certified by a third-party certification program that’s recognized by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative. It may also be certified at the hatchery, plant, and/or feed levels.

Sustainably Sourced

Wild-caught: Fish stocks are certified by a third-party certification program that’s recognized by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative, or fish stocks that SFP considers healthy and well-managed.

Farm-raised: All four levels of the supply chain (farm, hatchery, plant, and feed) are certified by a third-party certification program that’s recognized by the GSSI. Shellfish must be certified at all three levels of the supply chain (farm, hatchery, and plant).

GreenWise Sustainably Sourced

Wild-caught: Meets all the sustainably sourced criteria above. Additionally, contains no bisulfates, phosphates, nonphosphates, or other processing aids.

Farm-raised: Meets all the sustainably sourced criteria above. Additionally, is raised without antibiotics or hormones, and contains no bisulfates, phosphates, nonphosphates, or other processing aids.

Wondering about the seafood that’s not marked either responsibly or sustainably sourced? If it hasn’t been evaluated by the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership or GSSI ecolabels, all seafood must still meet our high Publix standards for quality.

Identifying Opportunities

We want to be good stewards of our natural resources. That’s why we work proactively with fisheries to make sure we have sustainable seafood in our stores. Our three-phase program helps us continually work through and resolve issues that impact sustainability in the seafood industry.

• Phase 1 (Research and data collection): Each year, we conduct research and collect data for the top 85% of products sold in our Seafood department.


• Phase 2 (Product evaluation, decisions, and improvement projects): In conjunction with Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, we annually evaluate our sources of supply and determine which of the sources need improvement. Then we prioritize the projects we will work on the following year. This process helps us decide whether to help enhance fisheries through improvement projects, seek alternative sources of supply, or halt the sale of a product until the issue is resolved.


• Phase 3 (Implementation): We make company-wide purchasing decisions to support sustainable fishing efforts based on the SFP fishery assessments. Since seafood sustainability has become more important to our customers, we're prepared to switch to alternative sources if we need to, or discontinue selling a product altogether.
  
  We constantly evaluate our progress and look for ways to offer more sustainable seafood to our customers. We also track the progress of our improvement projects to help us achieve our goal of a more sustainable seafood supply.

Understanding Seafood Certifications

We also work with GSSI and SFP to ensure that current and future sustainability claims meet a rigorous set of standards so that everyone can feel confident in seafood purchases. Navigating the many different certifications required for seafood to be sustainable is not always simple. Here’s a quick overview.

Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative

GSSI works to provide clarity and consumer confidence in certified seafood by benchmarking based on international guidelines. GSSI evaluates and approves several organizations to ensure they’re following the proper certification guidelines. These organizations include:

• Responsible Fisheries Management
• Marine Stewardship Council
• Best Aquaculture Practices
• Aquaculture Stewardship Council
• Global Good Agricultural Practices Program (GLOBALG.A.P.)

Sustainable Fisheries Partnership

As part of its evaluation of sustainability, SFP assesses the management and health of wild fishery stocks and makes the information publicly available on FishSource.org* to provide retailers with information on fisheries’ sustainability status. They also actively work with fisheries to set up and implement FIPs.

*By clicking this link, you will leave publix.com and enter the FishSource site operated by Sustainable Fisheries Partnership.

Always Learning and Growing

Our participation with SFP gives us the opportunity to better understand important issues about seafood sustainability. We learn where to engage our sustainability efforts, how fisheries manage their stock, and about the health of a fishery. This partnership also empowers us to invest in fisheries to help them gain the resources they need to improve their sustainability practices, a process known as a fishery improvement project (FIP).

Take the Next Step

Join us to help do good. Visit the Ocean Disclosure Project^† website to find fishery locations, sustainability ratings, environmental impacts, and the types of fishing gear used in the process.

^†By clicking this link, you will leave publix.com and enter the Ocean Disclosure Project site operated by Sustainable Fisheries Partnership.