So, what is a multi-stakeholder process, anyway? Essentially, it’s a forum for bringing different perspectives to the table. Let’s take a real life example. Right now we’re working on developing a new set of Seafood Quality Standards — our standards for farmed molluscs (a.k.a shellfish like clams, mussels and oysters). The process is well on its way and we aim to finish this spring. To create the standards, we studied the published science, visited farms from coast to coast, met with farmers and talked with many scientists to make sure we understood the issues. We also sought input from environmentalists. These discussions occurred during meetings, on the phone and over email. The process can occur in many ways! We’re also holding meetings with all of our supplier partners to review our draft standards point-by-point and get their feedback.

The first farmed mollusc supplier meeting took place January 10^th at our North Atlantic regional office and attendance was great. We hosted Whole Foods Market seafood buyers, representatives from our Quality Standards Team and Global Food Safety teams, and our consultant, Oceanographer Jon Grant from Dalhousie University in Canada. Almost twenty east coast growers participated in the meeting, hailing from Virginia, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, Canada.

Together with the growers, we reviewed the standards and had engaging discussions on a range of topics including what makes a production system aquaculture (vs. wild capture), disease prevention, standards for monitoring and preventing impacts to sediments under farms, harvesting, predator control and traceability. We received productive feedback and, fortunately, it looks like we’re on the right track with our standards.

Running a multi-stakeholder process is a lot of work, but it’s worth it in the end because when our stakeholders are involved in the process of developing standards, they’re invested in the outcome and can share in the success.

Look for more details on the farmed mollusc standards this spring!

But we’re not done yet. In our effort to move closer to fully sustainable seafood departments, we’ve got one group of seafood left to cover: farmed bivalve molluscs—oysters, clams and mussels. That’s just a technical way of saying farmed shellfish, but in an effort not confuse these animals with other shellfish like shrimp and lobster, we’re calling them by their real names—bivalve molluscs (or for the non-scientific spelling: “mollusks”).What does developing new standards entail, anyway? The process begins with a lot of research. As the seafood quality standards coordinator, the first thing I do is get my hands on stacks of published literature on shellfish science. Then I go to the source and talk with the scientists who published the papers. I spoke with experts in the US, Canada, Spain and New Zealand to name a few. I also attended the National Shellfisheries Association conference in Baltimore where shellfish scientists gather to share and discuss their work. One-on-one meetings with scientists on the topics of ecosystem carrying capacity and benthic impacts were the highlights.

For me, the rewarding part of this process is that we really go into depth on all the issues we cover, ensuring that we understand the research and the repercussions of the decisions that we make for our supplier partners. When I needed to better understand how oyster seed is bred at the hatchery, for example, I drove to Washington’s Olympic peninsula and spent hours with Joth Davis, fisheries scientist at Taylor Hatchery.

Fortunately, we don’t just sit at our desks. A big part of standards development takes place at the farms, where we spend hours with growers learning about the process of growing farmed molluscs. So far this standards process has taken me to farms in Washington, California, Connecticut, Prince Edward Island, Massachusetts, Virginia, Maryland and Florida, to name a few sites. When I’m lucky, others on our team will join me.

Special trips include working with scientists, both local and from afar. As part of our work to develop standards for benthic impacts from farming — i.e., to ensure the health of sediments under and near the farm sites — I traveled to a Chesapeake Bay oyster farm with Jon Grant from Dalhousie University to collect and analyze sediment samples. We’re interested because even though farmed molluscs do not receive formulated feed like some other types of farmed seafood, organic loading (build-up of carbon-based waste from animal/plant matter) can still occur.  Many scientists agree that while cultured molluscs provide benefits to ecosystems, organic loading to the sediments is something to avoid. We had a great opportunity to meet up with Jeff Cornwell from the University of Maryland, who explained his research to us.

Once we digest all the info we’ve collected, we draft standards and review them internally through a task force that includes buyers and the standards development team. That’s where we are right now. Next, we’ll request feedback from a range of experts, including scientists, producers and environmental groups. From there we’ll continue to refine the standards until they’re complete. It’s a long, involved process. Ultimately, we aim for standards that set the bar high for aquaculture performance and are the result of a highly collaborative process.

So, when you start seeing our logo for Responsibly Farmed seafood on clams, oysters and mussels sometime next year, you’ll have an understanding of all the work that goes into developing our standards.

Our primary supplier partner, Tropical Aquaculture Inc., brings us tilapia from Santa Priscila, located in beautiful Ecuador. Santa Priscila practices polyculture by raising shrimp and tilapia together in the same ponds. This helps reduce waste and water pollution, as tilapia consume feed that the shrimp leave behind and help get rid of organic matter that otherwise could end up in the environment. The farm also re-circulates its water, which further helps to protect water quality surrounding the farm.

And you’ll be glad to know that our Quality Standards for Aquaculture prohibit the common industry practice of using the hormone methyl testosterone to reverse the sex of tilapia. Conventional tilapia producers prefer to raise only male fish so that the fish put their energy into growth rather than reproduction and grow to a larger, more marketable size. Our farmer partners, however, grow fish the old fashioned way: they let the fish reproduce naturally. Then they separate the males and females by hand and raise them in separate ponds.

And as always, Whole Foods Market prohibits slaughterhouse by-products from avian or mammalian species in feed. Fortunately, tilapia are naturally omnivorous fish that don’t require a lot of fishmeal in their feed, which helps our tilapia suppliers meet our goal of reducing pressure on wild populations of fish that are used to produce animal feed, but are also important species in marine food webs. In fact, Santa Priscilla’s feed (as well as other supplier partners’ feed), uses trimmings from other fish species processed for seafood, which also reduces wastes.

We launched our Quality Standards for Aquaculture in 2008 and they still remain the toughest quality standards for farmed seafood in the industry. Fish farmers who want to partner with us must complete a lengthy application detailing all of their farming practices. And it’s more than just words; third-party auditors verify that the farm is meeting our standards before any of their fish makes its way to our stores. Not only that, but suppliers must continue to pass annual inspections for as long as they partner with us.

So, how do you know you’re purchasing farmed seafood that meets Whole Foods Market’s strict standards? Look for our aquaculture logo — Responsibly Farmed — at Whole Foods Market stores. That symbol means that the fish has been third-party verified to meet our standards.

This new initiative builds upon the partnership that Whole Foods Market has had with the Marine Stewardship Council since 1999 and it complements Whole Foods Market’s existing farmed seafood standards, which remain the highest standards in the industry. It’s all part of our overall effort to move our seafood purchasing, and the seafood industry as a whole, towards healthier oceans and greater sustainability.

What’s important to know about the ratings program is that our partners, Blue Ocean Institute and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, use solid, science-based methods for evaluating species and fisheries. They’re transparent with their criteria, methods, and ratings. Anyone can go online on their websites and review the ratings. Note that we’re using the ratings only on wild-caught seafood from fisheries not certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). MSC-certified seafood already undergoes a rigorous process to become certified.

Another important thing is that ratings aren’t set in stone; there’s opportunity to improve. Fisheries that are ranked yellow or red may be able to improve by implementing stronger management measures, or by changing the way they fish to reduce bycatch or impacts on habitat. Green or “best choice” ratings indicate a species is relatively abundant and is caught in environmentally-friendly ways. Our stores already feature a number of green-rated species. Having green rated species is critical because it demonstrates that fish populations can be healthy and that fisheries can be sustainably managed. Yellow or “good alternative” ratings mean some concerns exist with the species’ status or catch methods; and red or “avoid” ratings mean that for now the species is suffering from overfishing, or that current fishing methods harm other marine life or habitats. We’re evaluating the red-rated fisheries to see if changes can be made to improve fishing practices and ultimately earn a higher rating.

A few people have asked, “if it’s red-rated, why not stop selling it right now?” Actually, we already stopped selling especially vulnerable red-rated species such as non-MSC-certified Chilean sea bass, orange roughy, bluefin tuna, sharks, and marlins (with the exception of Hawaii-caught blue marlin, sold only in Hawaii stores). Under this new program, all swordfish and tuna from red-rated fisheries will be eliminated from seafood counters by Earth Day 2011. And by Earth Day 2012, all other seafood from red-rated fisheries will be discontinued with the exception of Atlantic cod and sole, which will be sold through Earth Day 2013. In the meantime, we’re evaluating the red-rated fisheries to see if changes can be made to improve fishing practices. Some fishermen have worked with us for many years so it’s a partnership and a process that takes a little time to change.

So, check out these new color ratings in our seafood departments and let us know what you think.

Also, watch Margaret Wittenberg, Whole Foods Market’s Global Vice President of Quality Standards and Public Affairs live in our Austin store explaining the new program below and visit our Navigating Sustainability page to get more information about the new rankings program, as well as the other seafood sustainability efforts and quality standards already in place at Whole Foods Market. ‘Til next time….

Since launching our enhanced Quality Standards for Aquaculture in July 2008, we’ve maintained a relatively low profile. We got the word out to the media, posted background information and the detailed standards on our website as well as brochures and other signage in our seafood departments. I also presented the standards at various meetings and conferences. However, we found that we still needed a quick way for our busy customers to see-at a glance-that there’s something special about the farmed seafood sold at Whole Foods Market.

Lots of people know Whole Foods Market as the company that prohibits preservatives such as sodium bisulfite, sodium tri-polyphosphate, and sodium metabisulfite in our seafood. But we go way beyond that. While there are a growing number of seafood standards out there, none have strict standards like ours that cover all the bases-from synthetic chemical use, feed, environmental contaminants, water quality and pollution prevention, predator control, to traceability. And this is just a subset of what our standards cover.

Simply put, the Whole Foods Market “Responsibly Farmed” logo means that the product meets our strict Whole Foods Market Quality Standards for Aquaculture. The logo also means that the product has been third-party verified to ensure our standards are being met.

But hey, don’t just take our word for it. It’s not just us saying that our standards are the strictest. Our producers-the ones who actually farm the fish and have to meet the standards-say it too. And so have our supporters in the environmental community. Here’s what a few had to say:

The Farm Raised Seafood Standards at Whole Foods Market are at a level unto their own and took years to develop—they are the highest in the industry.
—Rob Mayo, President, Carolina Classics Catfish, Inc.

There is no doubt that Whole Foods Market’s aquaculture standards are the strongest among all grocers. Producers who want to supply farmed salmon to Whole Foods Market must be dedicated to moving the salmon industry in the right direction. We are proud to be a part of that move.
—Johan Andreassen, Villa Organic, Norway

Whole Foods Market’s aquaculture purchasing policy sets a high bar for food retailers eager to provide healthy, ocean-friendly seafood for consumers across the country. When a leading retailer like Whole Foods Market makes this kind of commitment to standards for farmed seafood, suppliers around the world will work to meet the requirements.
—Tim Fitzgerald, Senior Policy Specialist, Environmental Defense Fund

So, how do you like the new logo?

The film begins with beautiful footage of marine life and quickly (and graphically) moves toward its key message: The oceans are overfished and fish populations are in trouble. Some of the most well-known and well-respected marine scientists are interviewed in the film to confirm these bleak trends.

I appreciate the filmmaker’s intention to tell this important story about the oceans. Our oceans are under incredible pressure and overfishing is a HUGE problem. In their latest global status report, the FAO states that slightly over half (52%) of fish populations are fished at their maximum sustainable limits, and there’s no room for further expansion. An additional 28% of fish populations are overexploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion. Why this happens requires a longer discussion, but the short of it is that overfishing happens when fishing quotas (i.e. limits on how many fish can be caught) are exceeded, or because no regulations or ineffective regulations exist to control fishing. Sometimes regulations are on the books but aren’t enforced. And corruption in the market is a reality that undermines even the well-intentioned.

Even so, I wish that a more complete story was told in the film. The film is professionally produced and visually gets across the gravity of the overfishing situation. But from my work with fisheries around the globe, I know firsthand that it’s not all doom and gloom out there. Success stories exist and demonstrate that we can effectively manage our marine resources. Sharing these stories is important because it gives credit to the fishermen-and the fishery scientists and managers-who are working hard to conserve the resources upon which they depend.

A classic example of strong fisheries management is a fish hailing from my neck of the woods – the Atlantic striped bass (a.k.a. rockfish or striper). Valuable to both commercial and recreational fisheries, striped bass plummeted in the late 1970s/early 1980s due to overfishing. In response, a number of U.S. states closed the fishery in the mid-to-late 80s to give the population a chance to recover. And it worked! Stripers returned and continue to thrive. According to the latest scientific assessment, striped bass is not overfished nor is overfishing occurring. Another comeback story is the North Atlantic swordfish. The population of this swift predator plummeted to low levels in the 1990s but is now almost fully rebuilt. North Atlantic Swordfish came back because fishery managers-especially in the U.S.-reduced allowable catch levels and closed certain areas to fishing to reduce catches of juvenile swordfish. Fortunately, there are too many examples of successful fisheries management to fit into this blog. But overall my point is that fisheries do need to be well-managed, and when they are, we need to tell their stories.

I also would have liked the film to cover aquaculture (fish farming) in a bit more depth. Only a few short minutes are dedicated to this topic; yet, almost half (47%) of the world’s fish supply is farmed. More importantly, what is said about aquaculture in the film is all negative. There certainly are problems with aquaculture, but there are also a number of great examples of environmentally responsible aquaculture operations. I’ve profiled some special farmers here previously.  After spending two years researching aquaculture and meeting some of the world’s most innovative fish farmers, I know it’s not all bad. Telling the stories of the good work being done informs the public that there are good seafood choices out there. It also creates a sense of pride among producers and encourages them to advance their efforts even further. And when retailers and other buyers select their products over the less sustainable ones, it creates an incentive for others to change.

Have you seen the film? What did you think?

Here’s mine: Hats off to NMFS for addressing these critical issues! Together with my colleague, Margaret Wittenberg – Global Vice President of Quality Standards and Public Relations, we’ve submitted comments to NMFS letting them know that Whole Foods Market cares about sourcing seafood sustainably and minimizing the impacts of fishing on the marine ecosystem. To source seafood right, though, we need strong regulations that address illegal fishing because as a grocery store, we can’t police the oceans.

We’re urging our fishery managers to do everything possible to provide the tools necessary to help us avoid sourcing from fisheries that catch fish illegally or take protected species. For example, denying port privileges to nations fishing illegally and prohibiting the import of fish products in violation of these rules would be a huge step forward; it would put the onus of responsibility on nations to fish responsibly, rather than on a grocery store like Whole Foods Market to figure out who is fishing legally and who isn’t. Finally, there may be fisheries that operate legally within a country that is found to be engaging in illegal fishing in other sectors. Consequently, we agree with NMFS’ approach to have alternative certification procedures that allow products to be certified on a shipment-by-shipment or shipper-by-shipper basis.

If you’d like to submit comments yourself, the deadline is May 14, 2009 and details can be found on Federal Register Docket No. 070514119-81404-02 (pdf).

You can read the full letter (pdf) that Whole Foods Market submitted to NMFS.

What do you think? Let us know and, more importantly, let the NMFS know!

In developing the newly enhanced Seafood Quality Standards for farmed seafood at Whole Foods Market, I had the amazing opportunity to visit farms in remote locations around the world to learn about the wide range of aquaculture practices used to raise farmed seafood. I’m often asked, “What’s the most amazing place that you’ve visited?” While every country and the people that I’ve met have been incredibly different and interesting, I often answer, “Iceland.”

Located just below the Arctic Circle, between Europe and Greenland, Iceland is an island nation with a landmass slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Kentucky. But with a population of just over 320,000—and most of these people living in the capital city of Reykjavík—Iceland is remarkably, well, un-crowded. Over half of the landmass of the island is tundra, lakes, and glaciers, but even in the more inhabited coastal areas that we visited, the vastness of the landscape is striking. Geologically active, Iceland’s volcanic eruptions have left behind stretches of old lava fields. In addition, because there are very few trees, the feeling of the place is that it’s not so much a landscape, but a moonscape surrounded by a seascape. With the vastness of the ocean itself outlining the land and shimmering fjords and waterfalls dazzling inland, the presence of water is everywhere.

It’s within this unique environment that our Icelandic supplier partners, Samherji, raise Arctic Char. Native to Iceland and the polar regions of North America and Europe, Arctic char are closely related to both salmon and trout. Samherji’s fish farmers raise char in land-based tank systems, which offer a host of benefits. For one, the chance of fish escaping from a land-based tank system situated on land is greatly reduced. With aquaculture in general, escapes of farmed fish can be worrisome as they carry a suite of potential risks including spreading diseases or parasites to wild fish populations, competing for food or habitat with wild fish, or weakening of the genetic integrity of the wild fish if the farmed and wild fish interbreed. In addition, land-based tank systems allow farmers more control over water quality at the farm, which helps optimize conditions for the char. Furthermore, with land-based systems, farmers can reduce the environmental impacts of the farm because they can control the effluent—the water and wastes that leave the farm. In contrast to farms located in open water, in these land-based tank systems, farmers can filter the waste water to prevent nutrients from entering the marine environment and causing harmful algae blooms or other problems. Samherji’s farmers use filters and settling ponds to separate particles and treat effluent.

The Whole Foods Market Quality Standards for farmed finfish and shrimp are comprehensive, requiring that farmers meet an extensive list of requirements to protect the environment. By locating their Arctic char farms on land and in tanks, Samherji is able to more easily address a number of our standards, including and not limited to escape prevention. Oh, and I forgot to tell you—their arctic char tastes great! Definitely a testament to all the care, not only for the environment, but for their fish, as well.

The past few months have been an exciting time for seafood at Whole Foods Market. In July 2008 we released our newly enhanced standards for farmed finfish and shrimp. In launching these standards, we set a high bar not only for how our seafood is raised, but also for environmental performance in aquaculture globally. Our commitment to sustainability reaches beyond our own stores, which is why we’ve posted our standards on our website and contribute to share and discuss our work at conferences and meetings worldwide.

As we have received several questions from customers particularly interested in shrimp and wanting to know what Whole Foods Market is doing specifically to protect mangroves from the impacts of shrimp farming, I’ll focus this posting on the topic of mangroves.

What are mangroves, anyway?

Up to sixty species of trees and shrubs fall under the category of “mangrove.” Found along coastlines in the world’s tropic and sub-tropic regions, these plants are recognizable by their extensive exposed root systems, which intertwine and tangle over muddy surfaces.

Mangroves are adapted to living in environments where tides fluctuate, which requires tolerance of salty water to survive. Tides carry nutrients in and out of mangrove swamps as well as animals such as fish and shrimp, which use the mangroves as nursery and refuge areas. The trunks and leaves of mangrove forests are home to insects, birds, lizards, bats, and tree snakes. Among the long intertwining roots, typical residents are barnacles, snails, and oysters. Life doesn’t stop when you reach the mud; mudflats host a range of critters including crabs. And in the submerged areas from the lowest tide mark toward the sea, water dwellers include various species of fish, crabs and lobsters.

Mangrove swamps are rich in nutrients and in turn support a rich ecosystem of plants and animals. But in addition, people also depend on mangroves, using mangrove timber for charcoal, firewood, and home and boat building. Snails, crabs, fish, and shrimp found within the mangroves may be harvested for dinner and mangrove leaves may become the roof for a house. Furthermore, mangroves protect coastal communities from storm damage by providing a barrier to wind and erosion. This became all too clear during the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake where some studies showed reduced damage in areas where mangroves were intact.

How do shrimp farms impact mangroves and what is Whole Foods Market doing to protect them?

Despite their importance, mangrove forests are at risk today due to a number of factors, which include timber harvesting, coastal development, and aquaculture. While we can’t tackle all these issues ourselves, when it comes to aquaculture, we’re working hard to ensure that the farmed shrimp we source doesn’t contribute to the degradation of mangrove ecosystems. Under our newly enhanced quality standards for farmed shrimp, suppliers are prohibited from converting areas mangroves into new sites or farms, or for expanding current farms. And, all new sites or new farms have to be sited above the high tide line (outside of natural mangrove habitat). In addition, we will only source shrimp from producers that can demonstrate a commitment to “no mangrove or wetland loss.” This means that producers that are farming on land that used to be mangroves and was previously converted to shrimp farms, must restore mangroves. We require that at least a hectare (2.5 acres) of mangrove habitat is restored for each hectare of mangroves converted. To ensure that the standards are being met, we require our supplier partners to successfully pass an independent, third-party audit that reviews every detail of the Aquaculture Standards.

These rules apply to farms that are located in tropic and sub-tropic areas where mangroves grow, but we’re also working with U.S. suppliers that grow shrimp in Texas and Alabama and are dedicated to environmental excellence.  For example, one of our Texas suppliers, Fritz Jaenike from Harlingen Shrimp Farm, grows shrimp in ponds located on former ranch land by the hypersaline Laguna Madre Bay. His farm has been in operation since 1982 and is considered a model by environmental organizations for pioneering methods to comply with stringent water quality regulations.

This November check out Shrimpsgiving at Whole Foods Market where some of our stores will feature Fritz Jaenike’s Texas farmed shrimp.

Until next time…. I look forward to your comments!

Trout at Leo’s farm are raised in concrete raceways situated on a down-sloping hill. This set-up allows him to utilize gravity for water to flow, which is critical for maintaining healthy oxygen levels, among other things. The water in this system flows downhill from one portion of the raceway to the next. Sediments are collected at the end of each level of the raceway and then flushed to settling ponds before the water is released back into the river or into irrigation canals for local farmers. Farms must have Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) permits and monitor water quality according to the Total Maximum Daily Load limits. In Idaho farms are required to monitor water quality each month and report results to the EPA and the Department of Environmental Quality. In addition, these agencies do annual spot checks on the farm. Allowable discharges are based on assessments of what the river can assimilate.

While currently all of the trout we sell at Whole Foods Market comes from flow-through raceway systems like Leo’s, we continue to keep our eye on developments of other types of systems such as closed, re-circulating systems. However, a major benefit of the flow-through raceway system is that there are no energy inputs to create flow in the water. In contrast, closed, re-circulating systems require energy inputs, which have a carbon footprint.

What about feed?

Even though most trout farms use the same type of farming system—flow-through concrete raceways—it is the subtle but significant differences among farms that distinguish approved and non-approved suppliers at Whole Foods Market. A good example with trout is the feed. Many trout farms use demand feeders—an upside-down plastic container for feed suspended over the surface of the water, with a wire reaching beneath the surface. With this system, it’s self serve: when the fish are hungry, they tap the wire with their noses and feed is released. But what’s in those demand feeders?

Most trout feed used on farms in the U.S. contains poultry meal because it works as an efficient source of protein. As well, several environmental organizations and feed suppliers tout poultry meal as a substitute for wild-caught fishmeal and oil. However, Whole Foods Market prohibits our suppliers from using poultry or mammalian by-products in feed for fish, just like we prohibit poultry or mammalian by-products as a feed component for animals that are raised to be sold as meat and poultry to our stores. Not only do we have many customers who eat fish but would not envision poultry-fed fish as meeting their personal expectations of what they’re buying, in terms of animal welfare, we think it is best to have the animal-sourced components of the feed be marine or fresh water-based rather than from land-based sources.

Accordingly, trout feeds for the fish we sell currently contain fishmeal and fish oil for protein and fat, as well as vegetable ingredients as a source of carbohydrates. At the same time, we’re actively working to reduce pressure on wild fish populations and reduce reliance on the reduction fisheries that catch the fish that are turned into fishmeal. In fact, in our newly enhanced aquaculture standards, we’ve set an aggressive target for the amount of wild-caught fish that’s consumed as fishmeal and fish oil. And we’re actively encouraging producers to work with their feed companies to explore emerging alternatives to fishmeal and fish oil such as by-products from fish processing (the trimmings from fish processing, not to be confused with bycatch), and other innovative options such as algae-based products and other marine resources.

By the way, thanks very much for your comments on my blog posts. I’ve enjoyed reading them and am responding either via the blog or through personal emails. Until the next time…