Achievements

At Ocean Choice International, our commitment to ocean sustainability is a crucial part of how we view seafood. We’ve proven that we can bring new and inventive thinking to our stewardship of the marine environment, and that is exemplified in our support for the rebuilding of the Canadian Yellowtail Flounder stock in Canada’s North Atlantic.

In 1994, a moratorium on harvesting several fish species was announced—including Yellowtail Flounder—a major part of Canada’s resource base. Three years later in 1997, the moratorium against this fish was lifted, opening with a conservative quota of 4,000 metric tonnes.

With over 90% of the Canadian quota for this stock, OCI plays a lead role in the data collection and management of this resource. In the next 14 years after the fishery reopened, this stock has improved incredibly, supported by solid science, daily communication and cooperation between our fleet management team and the Canadian government who oversees the stock, sound harvesting strategies and investment in technology.

In 2010, the quota was returned to its mid-1980s peak of 17,000 metric tonnes. Also, later in 2010, our Grand Banks Yellowtail Flounder trawl fishery earned Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, the standard for sustainable wild fisheries around the world.

Our oceans are our future. We will therefore always take the long-term view, and we will do what it takes to protect that future—for us—and for you.