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The FishChoice.com website features over 300 sustainable fish products. (Photo: FishChoice)
Website connects sustainable retailers and suppliers
UNITED STATES
Wednesday, August 05, 2009, 03:10 (GMT + 9)
The new website FishChoice.com launched last Monday allows chefs and retailers a free, fast and convenient way to locate suppliers who deal sustainable seafood. The seafood featured on FishChoice meets the strict sustainability standards of six leading seafood conservation groups.
Over 300 products and 130 suppliers are currently featured on the non-profit service. Searches can yield sustainable shrimp, tuna, salmon, pollock and tilapia, which are the top five most consumed types of seafood in the US.
"It's been difficult to find sustainable seafood at the right commercial quantities," said Richard Boot, founder and president of the site. "FishChoice.com provides a business solution to an environmental problem by creating a crucial link in the supply chain to connect buyers and sellers of sustainable seafood."
The website features suppliers who meet the standards of the following organisations: Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), The Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Program, Blue Ocean Institute, New England Aquarium, FishWise and SeaChoice.
Through these partnerships, FishChoice.com has access to the latest rankings and certifications and can find listings of companies that meet their requirements.
"Retailers and foodservice operators are taking seafood sustainability very seriously and are now relying on the NGOs to help them find reliable, verified sources," said Peter Redmayne, founder and president of Sea Fare Group Inc and former founding editor and publisher of Seafood Leader Magazine.
"Both the industry and the NGO community will benefit from producing seafood on a sustainable basis, and FishChoice.com is a critical part of the equation," he added.
Search results include copious data, including supplier name, contact information, product forms, catch methods, gear or farm type and delivery information. The information is gathered by the Seattle-based seafood consultancy organisation Sea Fare Group Inc.
Users can also request that items meeting their standards be located for them and suppliers can submit their products to be published on the site. The inventory will burgeon as new members join.
"FishChoice.com is the most comprehensive, versatile tool I've ever seen," said Gerard Viverito, CEC, CHE and Director of Culinary Education for Passionfish.org and proprietor of Hudsonvalleyfishmonger.com.
"It's one-stop shopping for seafood buyers, allowing you to not only find suppliers you might not know about but also to compare their order requirements and rankings. I've been a chef for over 20 years and FishChoice has helped me make some of the most informed choices in my career to date," he lauded.
The Food Marketing Institute's consumer survey showed that over 90 per cent of consumers polled believe that "it is important for the food industry to be more proactive in addressing environmental concerns."
Formerly a chef and director of operations for a sustainable fishery advocacy group, Boot has worked extensively with seafood distributors, retail buyers, fishers and green NGOs.
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By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
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