Today the Marine Stewardship Council Oceania announced the recipients of the annual Wave of Change awards, recognising changemakers in the sustainable seafood sector throughout Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. The awards come before Australia’s largest seafood conference, Seafood Directions, which celebrates industry innovations.
“The team at Coles have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to source MSC seafood across all of their ranges from canned, frozen and deli counter at over 700 stores. In 2015, Coles were the first supermarket in Australia to obtain MSC traceability certification for seafood deli counters and have continued to drive the conversation on sustainable seafood in the industry, creating ripple effect through the supply chain,” says Anne Gabriel, MSC Oceania Program Director.
“These Wave of Change Awards celebrate partners that are forging ahead on sustainability commitments and creating positive change through the industry. From empowering young leaders like SEA LIFE Trust and Taronga Zoo, to John West completely overhauling its supply chains to offer the largest range of MSC certified tuna in Australia, these organisations should be proud to say they are looking out for the future of our oceans and contributing to the 1,200 impacts on the water MSC.”
Simplot, John West- continues to make a splash
After successfully launching the company’s full range of tuna as MSC certified in 2016, Simplot Australia continues to source canned tuna products from MSC certified fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific. The source of income from sustainable tuna fishing in this region helps to support local economies and maintain the important fishing culture. John West currently provides 43% of the Australian canned tuna market and has won two Banksia Sustainability Awards for the Our Oceans Forever awareness campaign on their partnership with MSC and WWF. John West currently has a plan in place for over 60% of the total shelf seafood range to bear the MSC blue tick in 2018.
Innovation and Expansion for Sealord
Hoki Fries are a great example of how New Zealand brand, Sealord leveraged global food trends to bring innovation to market. The company’s innovation team could see flavoured and loaded fries becoming more and more popular and along with growth in sharing food, developed a product range that tapped into both these trends. Sealord has long been a supporter of MSC, since the New Zealand hoki fishery was certified in 2001.
“Making seafood simple is at the heart of what we try to do, and MSC certified Sealord Hoki Fries not only taste delicious but are easy to use and consumers can feel good about eating a range made from sustainably caught New Zealand Hoki,” says Melissa Butler, Sealord Marketing Manager.
Building a Better Blue Future
Taronga Zoo has also been recognised for their longstanding support of the MSC through the iconic Seal Show, which features at daily at the Sydney based zoo. With over 3,000 guests attending the show on a busy day, the seal show drives home the importance of choosing sustainable seafood to leave some for other animals to eat.
The innovative SEA LIFE Trust Ocean Youths program empowers young ocean leaders to learn about a variety of ocean issues and to become an advocate in their community. MSC has participated in mentoring students from the program since its inception in 2015.
Mandurah Crabfest is one of the largest free gatherings on the West Coast of Australia, celebrating the iconic Blue Swimmer Crab of the Peel Harvey Estuary. Through this award MSC recognises the community engagement effort of Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development for connecting the community with the beloved species.
Full list of MSC Oceania Awards-
MSC Oceania Supermarket of the Year
Coles
MSC Oceania Brand of the Year
Simplot for John West Tuna
MSC Oceania New Product of the Year
Sealord Hoki Fries
MSC Oceania Best Public Engagement
Taronga Zoo Seal Show
MSC Oceania Ocean Futures Award
SEA LIFE Trust Ocean Youth
MSC Oceania Best Community Outreach
Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Fisheries Division for Mandurah Crab Fest 2017
The MSC Oceania Wave of Change awards are voted on by local MSC staff and scored one three criteria; impact on market, leadership and communication. To learn more about nominations please contact Meredith Epp at [email protected].