Fishermen are not impressed by Whole Foods‘ (NASDAQ:WFM) new sustainability guidelines that the company says is part of its “stewardship of the ocean” philosophy, instead calling the guidelines a “marketing ploy,” according to a report from The New York Times.
The new policy, which will have the biggest impact on New England fishermen, states that the natural grocery store chain will only sell seafood it considers sustainable. Whole Foods believes this new policy will combat the problem of overfishing that has been ravaging fish stocks.
According to Whole Foods, seafood that no longer will have a spot in the supermarket’s fish case as of Sunday, April 29, include:
- Atlantic Halibut
- Grey Sole (Atlantic)
- Octopus (all)
- Skate Wing
- Sturgeon
- Swordfish (from specific areas and catch methods rated “red” by our partners)
- Tautog
- Trawl-caught Atlantic Cod
- Tuna (from specific areas and catch methods rated “red” by our partners)
- Turbot
- Imported wild shrimp
- Rockfish (only certain species)
The Atlantic cod proviso is a huge disappointment to many New England fishermen, as steel trawlers — which catch their prey by dragging nets across the ocean floor — are common in the region.
David Pilat, global seafood buyer for Whole Foods, told the NYT that the number of local fish that will be discontinued is minimal. He also said that Whole Foods is not trying to control the techniques used by the fishermen. “We’re not necessarily here to tell fishermen how to fish, but on a species like Atlantic cod, we are out there actively saying, ‘For Whole Foods Market to buy your cod, the rating has to be favorable,’” he said.
The fishermen see a very different picture. Jim Ford, who has reportedly sold hundreds of thousands of pounds of fish to Whole Foods, told the NYT that the new policy is “a marketing ploy, that’s all.”
