Trader Joe’s to Source Sustainable Seafood

MONROVIA, Calif. — Trader Joe’s has announced plans to shift all of its seafood purchases to sustainable sources by Dec. 31, 2012, according to an “Action Issue” posted on the retailer’s website. The change will apply to all types of seafood offered at Trader Joe’s, including frozen, fresh and canned products.

“It is our intent to have this goal function as a seafood policy that addresses customer concerns including the issues of over-fishing, destructive catch or production methods, and the importance of marine reserves,” the announcement reads. “We aim to use our purchasing power to leverage change within the seafood supply community.”

In addition to mandatory country-of-origin labeling, and the wild/farm-raised information that Trader Joe’s currently provides on its seafood labels, the company is working on new package labeling that will include each species’ origin as well as catch or production method. In response to consumer feedback, the company stopped selling Chilean sea bass in 2005, orange roughy in July 2009 and red snapper earlier this month.

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