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TopSustainable fisheries and aquaculture
Issues Related to Sustainable Fisheries
Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture products are products that have been caught or farmed using responsible practices that do not endanger the health of the species or the integrity of natural environments, and respect workers’ rights.
METRO recognizes that healthy oceans and the preservation of natural resources are vital for future generations. We have adopted the policy in order to provide all of our customers with wild caught and farmed fish and seafood provided through sustainable practices. This complies with METRO’s corporate responsibility initiative, which aims to provide its customers with responsible products, among other things.
Fishing and aquaculture present environmental and social issues. The two main environmental risk factors are overfishing and the environmental impact associated with the fishing and farming methods used. For the social component, working conditions are the main issue. Solutions can be implemented for each of these issues, and the purpose of METRO's policy is to promote these solutions.
METRO’s Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy was developed based on scientific expertise, so that all decisions are founded on an objective diagnosis. METRO stakeholders’ concerns were also considered in drafting the policy.
A complete traceability, which includes the species scientific name, provenance, capture type, and operating method, means the product can be assessed in detail. METRO uses this information to establish whether a product meets its sustainable fisheries and aquaculture requirements.
METRO’s labels include detailed traceability. Click here for further information.
METRO has identified specific groups of species that present increased risks in terms of sustainable fishing and aquaculture, either because the stock status is of concern or because of the potential impacts of the operating method used.
METRO nonetheless continues to sell these species under certain conditions. For all species placed in the continuous improvement program, vendors must meet the requirements established by METRO. Such requirements include obtaining credible, recognized certifications (such as BAP, ASC and Global GAP), active participation in species conservation, and improvement of fishing techniques.
METRO continually assesses all of the fish and seafood products it offers in its stores. Some stocks have been deemed to be more sensitive than others, and temporarily removed from our inventory. The main reasons for a withdrawal are declining stocks, a stock that is not abundant enough to support commercial fishing, a stock that is clearly subject to overfishing, or a threatened species status. METRO assesses these stocks every year. If the situation has clearly improved, a temporarily withdrawn species could be put back in inventory.
