Kings Releases Sustainable Seafood Program

Kings Food Markets has formed a partnership with FishWise, a nonprofit organization focused on the health and recovery of ocean ecosystems, to develop and implement a sustainable, responsible seafood program at retail.

“Much of the seafood available today comes at too high of a cost to our environment,” noted Judy Spires, CEO of Parsippany, N.J.-based Kings, which operates 25 stores in north and central New Jersey, New York's Long Island, and Connecticut. “At Kings, we are committed to bringing customers the best ingredients possible, and in this case, that means providing seafood options that are sourced responsibly.”

Through the program, Kings has bolstered its environmentally friendly seafood offering by improving sourcing, staff training, and point-of-sale materials. Seafood sourced through the program bears a “Responsible Choice” tag (above), which means the products are green- or yellow-rated in accordance with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s “Seafood Watch” program. All tagged items come from well-managed sources that lessen the environmental effects of harvesting or farming, or are otherwise good alternatives to less sustainable options.

Additionally, Kings’ seafood associates underwent exhaustive training under the new program, enabling them to answer any questions about the source, quality, and type of seafood in Kings stores.

“Kings Food Markets has an enduring heritage in the New Jersey region, and its ongoing commitment to affecting positive change in the local community should be commended,” said William Wall, business project manager for Santa Cruz, Calif.-based FishWise.

The agreement between Kings and FishWise is consistent with the Common Vision for Environmentally Sustainable Seafood, an environmentally responsible seafood guide for businesses that was developed by more than 15 North American ocean conservation groups.