Nearly all Canadian grocery stores received failing scores for their lack of progress to remove farmed salmon from their stores

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

It is grocery shopping time, so you grab your list, jump in the car, and head to your favorite grocery store.  For you, the priority is freshness; as you are putting items in your cart, you inspect the quality, appearance, and expiration dates of items to ensure you are getting the freshest options available. Naturally you are looking for high-quality products that meet your standards. This involves examining labels, checking for organic or locally sourced options, and looking for reputable brands you trust.

What if I told you that your local grocery store may be hiding details about certain products, and not being completely transparent about what they are selling you? Would you be surprised?

When it comes to the health and safety of Canadians, it is not something that I take lightly, which is why once again, I am going to have to call out certain grocers for being inauthentic, and actually lying about products that they are selling to the community.

Last week, I received an urgent email from members of the traditional unceded territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (MUSQUEAM), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (SQUAMISH) and səlilwətaɬ (TSLEIL-WAUTUTH) First Nations AND Halifax/Kjipuktuk, unceded Mi’kmaq territory. In the email, I was informed that most grocers avoid labelling products as “farmed.” While all grocers label “wild” on some seafood, nearly all avoid labelling “farmed” seafood, including salmon. What makes this sketchy is that without proper labelling, shoppers are unable to make informed choices.

I was able to do some research on an organization called SeaChoice, a science-based, solutions-focused influencer, advocate and watchdog with the primary goal of shifting seafood procurement and consumption to more sustainable options. After looking through the documents it got me thinking, and the question that came to mind was “Why does this matter?” Well, let’s talk about it.

Salmon holds immense cultural significance for indigenous communities and many others around the world. Native American tribes, for example, have a deep spiritual and cultural connection with salmon, considering them a sacred species. Salmon are often central to traditional ceremonies, subsistence practices, and cultural heritage. Preserving wild salmon populations helps maintain cultural traditions and the heritage of indigenous peoples.

Wild salmon populations possess genetic diversity that is essential for their survival and adaptation to changing environmental conditions. Genetic variation allows them to withstand challenges such as disease outbreaks, climate change, and habitat alterations. Protecting wild salmon ensures the preservation of their genetic diversity, which is critical for their long-term survival and resilience.

Besides their cultural significance and importance to our biodiversity, let’s be real; for most of us salmon is yummy! Wild salmon are a valuable source of nutritious food for human consumption. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, high-quality protein, and essential nutrients. For many coastal and Indigenous communities, salmon is a traditional and reliable food source. Protecting wild salmon populations helps ensure a sustainable supply of this important food resource.

Farming fish has become a growing trend over the years, but the establishment of fish farms have led to the destruction of natural habitats. High-density fish farming has the potential to facilitate the spread of diseases and parasites to wild fish populations if not properly managed. Some fish farms rely on antibiotics to prevent or treat diseases that can spread rapidly in densely populated fish farms. Overuse of antibiotics in aquaculture can contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, potentially impacting human health. It is one of the reasons why when we are sourcing our fish at supermarkets, we check for whether the fish is wild, or farmed. Now we are being informed that we cannot trust those labels.

Supermarkets have a commitment to prioritize and take actions that promote sustainability. Sustainability commitments are typically focused on addressing environmental, social, and economic issues in order to demonstrate their dedication to creating a more sustainable future. These commitments can help drive positive change, encourage innovation, and hold entities accountable for their sustainability efforts.

Open-net pen farmed salmon remains the Achilles heel for Canadian grocers’ sustainable seafood commitments. Nearly all received failing scores for their lack of progress to remove farmed salmon from their stores or take actions to improve their sourcing, according to SeaChoice’s latest Seafood Progress Report.

The 2023 Seafood Progress audit found:

• Farmed salmon scores were low for all but two grocers.
• Most grocers and the brands they sell continue to rely on farmed salmon certifications that are not fit for purpose. These certifications, including the Aquaculture Stewardship Council and Best Aquaculture Practices, fail to adequately protect wild salmon from disease or sea lice impacts from certified farms.
• Two grocers stood out above the rest. Sobeys was the only grocer to improve its score (from 34% to 68%) — largely due to preferentially sourcing and promoting closed-containment farmed salmon. Buy-Low Foods continues to be the only grocer to refrain from selling farmed salmon.
• All grocers have committed not to sell genetically engineered salmon. This marketplace consensus is welcomed given genetically engineered salmon’s potential risk to wild salmon.

In addition, more than half of grocers still don’t include all the seafood they sell under their sustainability commitments.

“That means a significant amount of seafood — from canned salmon and tuna to frozen seafood — is being ignored,” SeaChoice supply chain analyst Dana Cleaveley said. “For healthy oceans, we need grocers to be addressing all seafood sold in their stores, not just some.”

“Grocers and shoppers are being hoodwinked by open-net pen salmon certifications claiming, ‘best practice’ or ‘responsibly farmed.’ These certifications allow practices to continue that are largely industry norms, threatening wild salmon populations,” SeaChoice representative from Ecology Action Centre Christina Callegari said.

Next month, federal Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray is expected to announce the details for the British Columbia open-net pen transition plan.

These findings have prompted SeaChoice to call on the federal government to take steps to do what certifications in the marketplace have failed to do: protect wild salmon.

For shoppers out there, here are a few places that you need to be aware of, so when shopping, keep them in mind:

• Sobeys received the highest score at 68%, due in part to their being the only grocer to preferentially source and promote closed containment farmed salmon products.
• Costco, Co-op, Loblaw, METRO, Save-On and Walmart continue to sell salmon raised in open-net pen farms and rely on farmed salmon certifications that are not fit for purpose. These certifications, including the Aquaculture Stewardship Council and Best Aquaculture Practices, fail to adequately protect wild salmon from disease or sea lice impacts from certified farms.
• While all grocers label “wild” on some seafood, nearly all avoid labelling “farmed” seafood, including salmon. METRO and Costco are the only grocers to label farmed salmon as such.