SFP Welcomes Publix Commitment to Seafood Transparency

Retailer becomes first US company to make disclosure

LAKELAND, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–SFP today welcomed Publix’s move to publish a list of all of the
fisheries used within the company’s seafood department to source wild
seafood, along with information on management, catch method, and
environmental impact. The data disclosure exercise – part of the SFP Ocean
Disclosure Project (ODP) – is the first time a U.S. company has made
such a comprehensive report and represents a dramatic increase in
corporate transparency.

“Publix’s seafood sustainability philosophy is to provide transparency
for our customers while engaging with our suppliers to drive change in
the seafood industry,” said Maria Brous, Director of Media and Community
Relations. “Sustainability is about continuous improvement. SFP and
Publix have shared values and vision for a more sustainable seafood
future. Through our collaboration on the Ocean Disclosure Project, we
are able to evaluate our current sustainability landscape, prioritize
our impact, and support the supply chain from the fishermen to the
processors through fishery improvement projects, allowing us to
ultimately offer our customers more of the options they are looking for.”

Commenting on the publication of the report, Kathryn Novak, Director of
Buyer Engagement for SFP, said:

“This is a truly impressive commitment and represents a significant step
forward in corporate reporting on sustainable seafood. Consumers, the
public, investors, and other stakeholders can now see for themselves
where Publix sources seafood, how the fish are caught, and how well the
resource is managed. With this announcement, we feel Publix has taken a
leadership role in seafood sustainability.”

Publix is the first retailer in the U.S. to participate in the ODP,
joining European participants Asda, Biomar, The Co-operative Group,
Joseph Robertson, Morrisons, and Skretting.

The full profiles along with an introductory document can be seen at:

https://www.sustainablefish.org/Programs/Professional-Guidance/Ocean-Disclosure-Project

About ODP:

The Ocean Disclosure Project uses fishery data collected by both
participating companies and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership. Each
company profile identifies source fisheries, gear types, the quality of
fishery management, environmental impacts, and the presence of
third-party certifications and improvement projects. The project is
intended to showcase best practice in corporate transparency around
responsible seafood sourcing and allows companies to demonstrate their
practical commitment to improving the sustainability of the seafood that
they sell.

About SFP:

Founded in 2006, the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Foundation –
known as Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) – is a non-profit
organization dedicated to rebuilding depleted fish stocks and reducing
the environmental and social impacts of fishing and fish farming through
engaging fishery stakeholders (communities, NGOs, government, etc.) and
seafood businesses in every part of the supply chain. The organization
works to improve fisheries through fishery improvement projects (FIPs)
and aquaculture improvement projects (AIPs), which are multi-stakeholder
bodies that seek to advance the sustainability of fishing and fish
farming operations. SFP also supports Supply Chain Roundtables that
allow seafood suppliers to work in a pre-competitive environment to
promote improvement throughout the supply chain. Visit us at www.sustainablefish.org.

About Publix:

Publix is privately owned and operated by its 190,000 employees, with
2016 sales of $34 billion. Currently Publix has 1,146 stores in Florida,
Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina. The
company has been named one of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For
in America” for 20 consecutive years. In addition, Publix’s dedication
to superior quality and customer service is recognized among the top in
the grocery business. For more information, visit the company’s website, corporate.publix.com.

Contacts

SFP
Sean Murphy
sean.murphy@sustainablefish.org
or
Publix
Maria
Brous, 863-680-5339