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Sustainable Seafood Policy

Sustainable living is the wave of the new future. Best Choice Seafood recognizes that there is growing global concern over the impacts of fisheries and aquaculture on our seafood resources and that not all seafood products can be considered sustainable and ocean-friendly. To ensure that there are plenty of fish, both in the sea and on the plate, for our children's children, Best Choice Seafood operates according to a strict sustainable seafood policy in an attempt to become part of the solution.

Best Choice Seafood subscribes to the following principles:

1. All of our seafood choices should drive positive change in fisheries by supporting seafood derived from sustainable and responsibly managed sources.
2. All of our seafood choices should be legal (no IUU products) and be traceable back to their origins.
3. All of our wild-caught seafood choices should be caught using legal and responsible fishing methods.
4. All of our farmed seafood choices should be sourced from farms that use aquaculture systems that are sustainable and managed responsibly.
5. Best Choice Seafood will always strive to offer the most sustainable seafood options available. Where there are no sustainableSASSIGreen-list options available, we will strive to supply the most sustainable SASSI Orange-listed products possible.
6. Consumers have the right to sufficient and accurate information about their seafood. To enable consumers and clients to make an environmentally responsible choice, all of our seafood choices on offer will be labeled at least with the following information:
• Species name (common and scientific)
• Origin (country of production or FAO catch region)
• Production method (wild-caught/farmed and where possible fishing gear used, or)
• Any credible eco-labels that may apply.
7. All of our seafood choices will continuously be improved so any new product will be considered against our strict legal, traceability, and sustainability criteria. We will therefore actively source from suppliers who demonstrate an awareness of their environmental impacts and strive to rectify this in a responsible manner.

Our seafood choice makes us your best choice seafood supplier.

The Marine Living Resources Act (or MLRA) no. 18 of 1998 and amendments determines how we utilise our seafood resources.

Key points from the MLRA:

• You need permits to harvest, sell, import or export marine resources (Section 13 (1)).
• Recreational fishers may not sell their catch (Section 20 (1)).
• There are specific regulations pertaining to the management of certain species and fisheries, for example size and bag limits, closed seasons and no-sale species.
• The Act allows for penalties of up to two million Rand or five years imprisonment for transgressors.
• You also need to possess the correct import permits for seafood from other countries. These are issued by Marine and Coastal Management and ITAC (International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa)

SASSI Retail Charter

Retailers hold a significant proportion of the global seafood market share and are well positioned to effect positive changes in the fishing industry. In a number of countries, major retailers have started adjusting their seafood business to meet consumer expectations and in order to improve traceability, and promote sustainably and responsibly harvested seafood products, thus contributing towards the maintenance of healthy and productive marine ecosystems, species, and livelihoods.

As one of SASSI's Retail Charter members, Best Choice Seafood is commit to follow the principals within the charter, as detailed below:

1. Ensuring that all seafood on offer is legal and not on the SASSI Red list;
2. Phasing out unsustainable seafood products and replacing them with sustainable substitutes;
3. Promoting sustainable choices from responsible, well managed fisheries;
4. Continuously evaluating seafood product range against strict legal, traceability, and sustainability criteria.
5. Providing consumers with seafood that is adequately labelled and includes information on the species, origin, and production method (fishing gear used, or wild-caught/farmed),
6. Always endeavouring to offer seafood that is traceable to its origins, making use of suitable traceability schemes or mechanisms;

Retailers are invited to become part of the solution, by signing up to the SASSI Retail Charter. The charter provides a mechanism to drive change in your seafood business by looking at four main focal areas.

• Sourcing and Procurement
• Product range
• Communications
• Awareness

Find out more about SASSI