Wal-Mart Canada to Source Sustainably

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario — Wal-Mart Canada has announced that it will sell only sustainably-sourced frozen, wild and farmed fish to its shoppers by 2013, and will phase out any suppliers who sell seafood from unregulated sources.

“We're taking a first step to help sustain the future of fish,” Sam Silvestro, divisional merchandise manager at Wal-Mart Canada, said in a release. “We believe that by offering sustainably-harvested fish at affordable prices we can help improve the industry overall.”

The policy was explained to suppliers in a meeting at the company's home office. During the coming months, the company will continue to work with those suppliers, along with the London-based Marine Stewardship Council, “to assess the sustainability of the company's current fish assortment.”

The policy will likely evolve over time, but for now, the company expects to source only wild-caught fish that are certified to MSC standards or the minimum equivalent; to ensure that all farm-raised fish suppliers are adhering to Best Aquaculture Practices; and to source canned tuna from an International Seafood Sustainability Foundation member.

Wal-Mart Canada has also said it will continue to work with suppliers over the long term, in an effort to help them make their own operations and supply chains more sustainable. And, in addition, the company has asked MSC for input on ways it could leverage its power as a retailer to change the larger seafood marketplace.