2Sustain

Earlier this week, Greenpeace upped the ante in its sustainable seafood campaign by explicitly targeting Costco with a press release and a less-than-flattering YouTube video.

Greenpeace, which has published a sustainable seafood guide since 2008 (see an earlier post here), says Costco lacks a transparent and meaningful sustainable seafood policy and has continually proven to be one of the poorest performing big box stores in the United States in terms of seafood sustainability.

“As the third largest retailer in the United States and one of the largest seafood retailers, the scope of Costco’s impact on ocean ecosystems is tremendous,” explains Greenpeace markets campaigner Casson Trenor. “Unfortunately, it clearly puts short-term profits before sustainability and its lack of transparency in labeling leaves its customers without any guidance. It’s time for Costco to take responsibility for the impact it is having on our oceans.”

This year’s analysis by Greenpeace revealed that Costco sells 15 of the 22 “red-listed” seafoods, including two of the world’s most critically imperiled species: orange roughy and Chilean sea bass.

Costco’s sustainably sourced seafood products strategy is briefly outlined on page 34 of its 36-page 2009 corporate responsibility report, and although it’s clear from paging through the report –which happens to be the company’s first –that Costco has made significant strides in other areas of environmental stewardship (energy management and a commitment to reduce GHG emissions, e.g.), it’s disappointing that the company apparently continues to downplay the importance of a more comprehensive sustainable seafood policy.

After all, the risks to both the supply chain and the environment are clear. Researchers have been warning for years now about the collapse of our marine ecosystems, and unless supermarket retailers change their business practices, it seems inevitable that they’ll simply push the world’s fisheries beyond the limits of sustainability.