U.S. Sen. Mark Begich continued to challenge Walmart’s seafood purchasing policies and urged incoming president and CEO Doug McMillon to make sure Walmart customers can purchase healthy, sustainable Alaska seafood regardless of a third party label.
In a letter sent Tuesday to McMillon, Sen. Begich encouraged the new CEO to continue the conversation about sustainable fisheries that began last year between CEO Michael Duke and Alaska fishermen and seafood industry groups. Alaska fishermen were concerned about Walmart’s reliance upon the Marine Stewardship Council, a third-party sustainable fisheries certification organization located in London, to approve Alaska salmon and other seafood as “sustainable.”
Sen. Begich, a passionate supporter of Alaska fisheries, invited McMillon to visit Alaska to meet firsthand with fishermen, processors, biologists, fisheries managers, and other Alaskans dedicated to seafood sustainability. According to Sen. Begich, Alaska is the gold standard for sustainable fisheries management and Walmart should not rely on a European organization to advise them about Alaska fish.
Sen. Begich urged the McMillon to consider Alaska’s state certification program. Sen. Begich writes in the letter:
“As chair of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard I held a hearing in September on seafood certification programs. At that hearing, I was pleased by statements regarding Alaska salmon from Walmart’s Senior Director of Sustainability, Mr. Jeffery Rice. I asked him directly then whether the Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) program was acceptable to meet Walmart requirements. I am still keenly interested in the answer to that question, as are producers of quality Alaska seafood.
“Alaska’s commitment to seafood sustainability is second to none. Our management is science based, well documented, regulated by a transparent process, and has a lengthy record that attests to its success. I believe it is important for Walmart to sell U.S. sourced, sustainable seafood regardless of whether suppliers choose to pay for a third party label.”
