In order to deliver our overarching objectives for sustainable seafood, we recognise the need for effective, pre-competitive collaboration, supporting a number of organisations driving responsible practice through pre-competitive collaboration and innovation. Through this Sainsbury’s are active members of a number of organisations which align with our vision.

Organisations we work with

Global Tuna Alliance

Sainsbury’s is a member of the Global Tuna Alliance which is an independent group of retailers and tuna supply chain companies working collectively to generate a step-change in sustainable tuna management across the world.

For more information click here.

North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group

Sainsbury’s is a member of the North Pelagic Advocacy Group which was formed by retailers and processors from across the UK and Europe to consider how the supply chain could drive improvements in the management of pelagic fisheries, including mackerel, in the NE Atlantic thus enabling certification to the MSC standard.

For more information click here.

Project UK Fisheries Improvements

Project UK is a collaborative partnership working towards an environmentally sustainable future for UK fisheries through the implementation of credible Fishery Improvement Projects

Sainsbury’s is a Project UK partner and working to deliver MSC certified Scallops, Langoustines (scampi), Plaice, Lemon Sole, Monkfish and Crab.

For more information click here.

Fisheries Innovation Scotland

Sainsbury’s are members of Fisheries Innovation Scotland which is a unique public-private collaboration between seafood experts, government and scientists to champion innovation and positive change in the Scottish fishing industry. FIS connects the seafood supply chain around shared opportunities for innovation to make Scottish fisheries more prosperous and sustainable by creating a pre-competitive environment for effective collaboration.  A great example of this is the FIS “Smartrawl” project which aims to deliver a step change in intelligent fishing through the development and testing of novel technologies to allow in-water identification and grading of fish by species and size.

For more information click here.

REACT FIRST

Sainsbury’s are members of the REACT FIRST consortium which has been funded under the UK Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Future Food Production Systems call. The Reduced Emission Aquaculture & Chicken Trial For Integrated, Responsible and Sustainable Transformation of CO2 into animal feed project (or REACT-FIRST) aims to develop feeds with 65-75% smaller carbon footprints than existing feeds, with no requirements for arable land and minimal water usage, so very much aligned with Sainsbury’s net zero commitment. The project aims to provide the UK's first sustainable and scalable protein production facility creating high quality bacterial protein directly from CO2 produced as an output from bio-energy generation. 

For more information click here.

Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability

The Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability delivers a common specification for digital seafood traceability which will ensure that the right data is captured at the right place at the right time and in the right format and help to provide touch of a button assurance that our seafood is sourced legally and responsibly. There’s also a requirement to deliver interoperability to ensure that various systems can talk to each other whether they are blockchain or web based or otherwise.

This will deliver a more flexible, but equally credible and robust approach which can be adopted across different species and geographies within our supply base.

As members of the GDST Steering Committee, we’ve made a commitment to adoption of the GDST standards and are working on pilots in key seafood supply chains.

For more information click here.

Global Ghost Gear Initiative

Abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) has become a huge problem in our oceans. Studies suggest that fishing gear lost from boats accounts for around 10% of all the plastic currently in the ocean. These modern plastics can last up to 600 years in the marine environment continuing to capture and kill animals for much of its lifespan. The Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) is the world’s largest cross-sectoral alliance committed to driving solutions to the problem of ALDFG (also known as ghost gear) worldwide.

Sainsbury’s were the first retail member of GGGI having joined in 2015 and have worked as part of GGGI to develop best practice guidance for fisheries to identify and tag gear and for recording, reporting and recovery of any gear lost at sea. We have shared this guidance with our suppliers and are in process of tracking implementation with our suppliers.

For more information click here.

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