The North Atlantic Pelagic Advocacy Group (NAPA) has announced its first member company from the USA. American-based retailer, Fishwife, is the latest addition to the supply chain coalition.
‘Fishwife has decided to join NAPA to have a voice in the fight for responsible fisheries management in the North East Atlantic,’ said Fishwife co-founder and CEO Becca Millstein.
‘Our business relies on the cooperative management of fisheries all over the world, including the North East Atlantic mackerel fishery, and we’re committed to working alongside our fellow seafood industry partners to ensure the present and future health of these fisheries. It’s an honour to be the first American partner of NAPA, and we look forward to furthering our mission of expanding access to responsibly-sourced seafood.’
Female-founded and led, Fishwife is a food company aiming to bring ethically-sourced, premium canned seafood to the North American table by sourcing from responsibly managed fisheries and aquaculture farms. Since the company’s first year in business in 2021, Fishwife has grown by 200% year-on-year, mostly driven by word-of-mouth.
Last year, NAPA welcomed 21 new businesses to its 60-strong membership, including Woolworths South Africa and Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union (JCCU).
‘We are delighted to welcome Fishwife to our collective of supply chain businesses who are vocal about their investment in a long-term, sustainable future for seafood from the North East Atlantic. Gaining our first member from the USA is a key milestone,’ said NAPA project lead Dr Tom Pickerell.
‘It demonstrates the global relevance of NAPA’s mission – buyers, processors, and consumers everywhere want to see Coastal States take cooperative action to agree quota shares that are in line with scientific advice, and commit to long-term management plans for these vital, valuable stocks.’
NAPA was launched in 2019, in response to loss of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for North East Atlantic mackerel, Atlanto-Scandian herring, and blue whiting, and an emergent trend for unilateral quota-setting above the scientific advice within the North East Atlantic region.
‘Discussions on catch shares have fallen through every year for more than a decade, and we are currently waiting to hear the outcomes of this year’s talks,’ said Independent Chair of NAPA Aoife Martin, commenting on October’s Coastal States negotiations.
‘NAPA has worked tirelessly to communicate the supply-chain’s position and urged Coastal States to agree, follow, and commit. It really is a case of Governments listening to the marketplace AND the science, and every new member is a new voice willing to confront the problem head on.’
