A one-stop source for information on New Zealand seafood was launched at the New Zealand Seafood Industry conference. OpenSeas is a third-party verified, broad-based transparency initiative designed to enable customers of New Zealand seafood, primarily international customers, a single, comprehensive source of information about the environmental, social and production credentials of the New Zealand seafood industry.
Programme manager Jodie Campbell said OpenSeas is a first of its kind transparency initiative that has been a year in the making and brought together over 20 industry experts and five regulatory agencies to contribute to nearly 40 pages of website content.
Information contained in the site covers New Zealand's approach to sustainable use of its vast marine environment, the systems and processes used to ensure supply chain integrity and the legal protections for the welfare of workers and indigenous communities involved in seafood production.
The site also features individual species profiles, which include the most up-to-date harvest details and independent environmental certification or risk assessment scores.
“OpenSeas focuses on presenting short, digestible pieces of information about the New Zealand seafood industry, allowing users to retain and reuse the information within their own businesses,” said Campbell. “Ultimately, it should enable customers of New Zealand seafood to make informed choices in line with their own sourcing policies.”
The OpenSeas programme is open, free of charge, for anyone to use.
