Pacific Seafood released its third annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report on 22 April, a move intended to coincide with Earth Day celebrations.
According to a press release from the company, the report is intended to detail “efforts to be socially responsible in all areas of our business from coastal communities and team members, to sustainable fishing practices and traceability, to food safety standards, and the environment during 2019.”
The report highlights the company’s endeavor to create a first-of-its-kind electric monitoring system for the Texas Gulf shrimp fishery, with the goal of achieving Marine Stewardship Council certification by November of this year.
Pacific said it has enlisted the use of traceability software, allowing the company to track seafood products landed, from the body of water all the way to the restaurant or the retailer. The firm also reflected upon its mention by The Portland Business Journal as one of Oregon’s healthiest employers to work for, due to its wellness programs. The report noted that 20 percent of the company’s profits are given to team members in the form of 401k contributions and other incentives.
On the environmental front, Pacific said it has turned almost all of its fish scraps (bones, shells, etc.) into 13 million pounds of seafood meal and oil, preventing 80 million pounds of fish waste from going to landfills.
And, in a time where the coronavirus pandemic has crippled parts of the seafood industry, Pacific pointed out that it performs more than 190 swabs per week at their processing facilities to ensure that staff are pathogen-free.
“Local fishing communities are the heart and soul of Pacific Seafood. In many instances, Pacific Seafood is one of, if not the largest private employers in our coastal communities, and that’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly. We thank all of our amazing team members and communities for everything they do, especially now," Pacific Seafood President and CEO Frank Dulcich said in a press release marking the new report’s release. "Together we can, and we will, move forward into a different, but invigorating new chapter for the seafood industry.”
The company’s full report can be found here.
