Article - seafood sustainability image
5 MIN|11 Jul 2022|Seafood

Sustainable seafood you can trust


5 MIN|11 Jul 2022|Seafood

Sustainable seafood you can trust

Article - seafood sustainability image
Made with Care
Hangaia e te Manaakitanga

New Zealand producers have a special connection to the land and sea; a relationship founded on care and respect, and an inherent understanding that when nature thrives, we all thrive.

When combined with Aotearoa New Zealand’s lush, green pastures and fertile soil, and expansive coastline with its cool, clear waters, the results are truly outstanding – world-class, great-tasting and nutritious ingredients, from a country and people you can trust.

  • Sustainability is at the forefront of our industry. Guided by the Māori principle of kaitiakitanga, we work to protect and safeguard the land, the sea and our people, now and for future generations. We are committed to not just playing our part in reducing our environmental impact, but to leading the change.

  • Food safety is paramount to New Zealand’s food and beverage producers. As a country, we have stringent food-hygiene standards and practices, and we employ a range of advanced technologies and quality controls to ensure only the highest-quality products leave our shores. Put simply, you can trust food and beverages from Aotearoa New Zealand.

  • We produce world-changing food innovation – from carbon zero milk to sheep that emit less methane, from nutritionally superior apples through to distinctive, red-fleshed kiwifruit, and honey that can’t be found anywhere else on the planet.
    We are always striving to offer products that are better for you, and for the world.

Seafood Sustainability

A world-leader in sustainable seafood

New Zealand was the first country in the world to establish a Quota Management System, which sets a yearly catch limit for 99 species including shellfish and seaweed in a particular area.

More than 30 years on, this system covers 95% of New Zealand’s commercial catch, including the delicately flavoured Hoki fished in the deep icy cold waters of the Tasman Sea. New Zealand Hoki was the first large-scale fishery in the world to be certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council, the gold-star in sustainable certification labels, and remains certified more than 20 years later.

It’s a track record we’re proud of. And a track record you’ll be proud to share with your consumers who are more frequently demanding sustainably caught seafood.

Innovation to drive change

While managing catch limits is a fundamental part of protecting fish stocks, so too is innovation.

It’s a big claim to make, but a New Zealand-developed fishing method has the potential to change the way the world fishes. ‘Tiaki’ uses Precision Seafood Harvesting’s revolutionary technology that allows fish to be landed on boats alive and allows some undersized fish to be released. In time it could replace trawling, a common fishing method used by many countries.

Proving we do what we say

For us, sustainability is more than just a buzz word. We’re always working on initiatives to help producers do more and reassure those that enjoy our exceptional seafood that they can do so without worrying about where it’s come from or how it’s been produced.

The Fisheries Change Programme aims to strengthen and modernise the way New Zealand’s fisheries are managed. It includes digital monitoring of commercial fishing, creating a whole new level of transparency around the amount and the species of fish being caught, and exactly where they are being caught.

And in aquaculture, the A+ programme provides practical tools for marine farmers to improve environmental practices such as water quality, waste management food safety, plus engage better with local communities.

All this sounds good, but what does it really mean? It means that when you buy New Zealand seafood, you can be reassured that it’s not just exceptional quality, but that it’s made with care and the future in mind.

When you stock seafood from New Zealand, you know that you’re serving your customers world class products that are made with care.

Enquire now to find out more.

DISCOVER NZ SEAFOOD PRODUCTS IN AUSTRALIA