SEAFOODNEWS.COM by John Sackton Jan 6, 2014 — Walmart officials will meet in Juneau this week following an invitation to the new CEO Doug McMillan issued by both Senator Lisa Murkowski and Gov. Sean Parnell. Alaskan officials are fully engaged in the process through which Walmart is evaluating its sustainability criteria for seafood. The delegation of Walmart executives will further discuss seafood certification and how the company buys seafood.
In the letter, Gov. Parnell highlights first, his appreciation for Walmart's responsiveness to Alaskan concerns.
He goes on to say "TSC (The Sustainability Consortium which Walmart has charged with review sustainability criteria) has recognized the value of focusing on credible elements of independent sustainability programs, rather than a prescriptive set of criteria and how programs can influence governance. Alaska's fisheries management structures, the Alaska Board of Fisheries, and North Pacific Fishery Management Council are governance structures that build opportunity for public participation into the fisheries management process. It is important to the State that those structures be recognized as the driving forces behind Alaskan fisheries management. Seafood certification is merely verification of sustainable fishery management practices."
This approach is directly opposite of the demands made by NGO's in a letter last month, that Walmart and the TSC only define sustainability certification through an expert process totally separate from the existing fisheries management systems. In their demand, the NGO's threatened to withhold support saying "Due to rampant misinformation about various sustainability programs, it will be incredibly difficult for non-experts in sustainability programs and fisheries science to meaningfully analyze seafood programs against the principles. Expertise should instead be applied to the proper principles by a third party with experience in standards auditing, and the results then provided to interested companies for consideration." They then threatened to withhold support from Walmarts sustainability purchasing efforts if their demands were not met.
Such a position would essentially mean that only NGO developed sustainability programs could be certified, and that no government or fisheries management program could ever be recognized as sustainable by buyers based on its own track record of success. This position locks buyers into dependence on NGOs forever – no matter what steps a government or fisheries management body takes to maintain sustainable harvests.
The full letter is below:
Dear Mr. McMillan,
Congratulations on your new position as Chief Executive Officer with Walmart Stores. On behalf of Alaskans, we look forward to a continued positive relationship with Walmart.
I understand that following the visit by members of my staff and cabinet to Walmart headquarters in September, your staff initiated a process through The Sustainability Consortium (TSC) to evaluate criteria for seafood procurement policies. I would like to extend my appreciation for Walmart's responsiveness to concerns expressed by the State of Alaska and the Alaska seafood industry. We are pleased to find Walmart so dedicated to working towards a policy that supports Alaska's commitment to sustainability rather than a particular brand of seafood certification.
My staff has been in contact with TSC regarding their draft of credible elements of seafood sustainability. TSC has recognized the value of focusing on credible elements of independent sustainability programs, rather than a prescriptive set of criteria and how programs can influence governance. Alaska's fisheries management structures, the Alaska Board of Fisheries, and North Pacific Fishery Management Council are governance structures that build opportunity for public participation into the fisheries management process. It is important to the State that those structures be recognized as the driving forces behind Alaskan fisheries management. Seafood certification is merely verification of sustainable fishery management practices.
I am pleased that Walmart executives will visit our state next week to learn about Alaska's fisheries firsthand from fishermen, fisheries managers, representatives of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, and members of my office. I appreciate the gesture of good faith and know that the time will be well spent.
Best regards,
Sean Parnell
Governor
This story originally appeared on Seafood.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.