Costco Drops ‘At Risk’ Fish

ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco Wholesale Corp. here has announced that it will discontinue the sale of Atlantic cod, Atlantic halibut, Chilean sea bass, Greenland halibut, grouper, monkfish, orange roughy, redfish, shark, skates, rays, swordfish and bluefin tuna — all species that have been defined as “at risk” by seafood groups.

In a three-page description of this policy and others related to seafood sustainability, the company said it would not resume sale of any of these species unless a supplier can have its sources certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council.

The company is also working with the World Wildlife Fund to identify sustainable fisheries for other species that “have been identified as at risk in certain respects. Those efforts may lead us to cease sales of additional species,” the document states.

In addition, WWF will help Costco identify sustainable aquaculture operations. Initially, the group will help Costco “gauge the degree to which Thailand-based companies that supply farmed shrimp to Costco meet the Shrimp Aquaculture Dialogue's (ShAD) draft standards for shrimp farming.” After these guidelines are finalized later this year, WWF and Costco will “develop a strategy to guide suppliers toward full compliance.”

Costco also continues to work with suppliers to implement draft standards from the Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue. And by the end of 2011, it will buy tilapia only from suppliers that have been certified under the Tilapia Aquaculture Dialogue.