SEA Programme

Nutreco’s fish feed business Skretting introduced an international programme of action-based activities to ensure that our commitments to sustainability in aquaculture are delivered. It is called the SEA Programme, standing for Sustainable Economic Aquafeeds. First introduced in the UK in 2008, it has since been rolled out to Norway, Chile and most recently in Italy in October 2009, where it immediately attracted attention and enquiries from leading retailers.   The SEA Programme gives attention to the sustainability of marine and agricultural raw materials, for example by requiring suppliers of marine raw materials to document that fish used have been responsibly sourced. This excludes any from illegal, unreported or unregulated fisheries. The SEA Programme also includes attention to greenhouse gas emissions and waste. Participating in stakeholder dialogues, as described below, is an essential part of the SEA Programme.

Joint initiatives for sustainable aquaculture

The aquaculture industry is subject to close scrutiny from many environmental and social NGOs for possible impacts on coastal communities and the environment. Concerns include inappropriate fishing to provide marine raw materials for fish feed. Skretting and other companies take initiatives to ensure correct information is available and meet with these groups to seek mutually acceptable ways of developing the industry.

Skretting is a member of the steering committee of the Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue organised by WWF USA and established in 2004. Other organisations and companies represented on the steering committee include environmental NGOs from Europe and the Americas, aquaculture companies and WWF. Skretting participated in the Dialogue meeting held in Boston, Massachusetts, in March 2009.

The objective is to develop and implement verifiable environmental and social performance levels that measurably reduce or eliminate key impacts of salmon farming and that are acceptable to all stakeholders. The final draft principles and criteria, available in English and Spanish, were created by the Dialogue’s steering committee and are based on input received during two public comment periods and at Dialogue meetings held in 2008 and 2009. The full suite of principles, criteria, indicators and standards are scheduled to be posted for public comment in early 2010 (www.worldwildlife.org/what/globalmarkets/aquaculture/dialogues-salmon.html).

Nutreco supported WWF in 2009 in its formation of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, which will be responsible for working with independent, third-party entities to certify fish farms that are in compliance with the global standards for responsible seafood farming developed by the various aquaculture dialogues initiated by WWF.

Skretting sponsored and attended the Seafood Summit organised by the Seafood Choices Alliance in San Diego, California, in February 2009. The theme was ‘Sharing Responsibility for Real Change’. The summit brings together representatives from the seafood industry and the conservation community for in-depth discussions with the goal of making the seafood marketplace environmentally, socially and economically sustainable (www.seafoodchoices.org).

Skretting also supported the 2010 conference in Paris in January and made a joint presentation with the International Fish oil and Fish Oil Organisation on sustainability of marine raw materials.

Skretting UK joined with other fish feed producers, an animal health company and industry media in supporting a two-day conference in April 2009 on sustainability in aquaculture. Gatherings such as this provide an opportunity to agree on the criteria to assess what is sustainable.

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