Lunds and Byerly’s Launch ‘Responsibly Sourced Seafood’

Lunds and Byerly’s has set sail on an aggressive “Responsibly Sourced Seafood Program,” that centers on the regional retailer’s commitment to offering a wide range of responsibly sourced wild-caught and farm-raised seafood through partnerships with third-party organizations that ensure fisheries its sources from utilize sustainable practices.

The 21-store, Edina, Minn.-based privately held grocer is prominently showcasing its new seafood sourcing program on its website, which features an array of information about sustainable choices consumers can make to help protect and support fisheries committed to sustainable practices. The company also discusses how its sustainable seafood suppliers and producers are certified by third-party organizations that monitor and audit their fisheries, which include the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) and Alaska Seafood.
 

As the latest grocery organization to join GAA’s expanding list of retailers to adopt its Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification for farmed seafood, procurement officials at Lunds and Byerly’s will work with its suppliers to achieve compliance with GAA sustainable aquaculture standards.

“We realize that sustainable seafood choices are important to our consumers,” said Bea James, senior manager of organic, natural and sustainable programs at Lunds and Byerly’s. “We are committed to developing a program that helps educate our customers about how well-managed sustainable aquaculture can help reverse the global seafood crisis.”

Officials from GAA praised Lund’s and Byerly’s for “the depth of their Responsibly Sourced Seafood Program, [which] will put them in a true leadership position with their customers,” said Peter Redmond, GAA VP of global market development. “Our BAP standards program is a manifestation of how the marketplace can make a positive difference on a global scale,” said Redmond. “The growth of sustainable aquaculture is at the heart of GAA, and every endorsement of our standards gives us increased comfort with the future of aquaculture.