Sykes Seafood is a business that is committed to the responsible sourcing within the seafood industry and actively engages with its customers and suppliers to promote best practices.
We are aware of the importance of transparency throughout the entire supply chain and provides adequate resource to ensuring the standards that we set ourselves pertaining to responsible sourcing, animal welfare, human rights and environmental & social governance are upheld.
We actively monitor and report on our progress and highlight potential risks within the supply chain with the overall objective of meeting customer and consumer needs.
This policy has been approved Daniel Wright and the board of directors.
Daniel Wright
Managing Director
17th July 2024
1. Purpose
1.1. Sykes Seafood Ltd (“the Company”) is committed to the practice of responsible corporate behaviour.
1.2. Through its business practices and documented internal policies and procedures the Company seeks to ensure that all species sourced and purchased are done so in a responsible manner that takes into account the appropriate environmental and animal welfare standards that are demanded by its customers.
1.3. This policy applies to all species purchased, transported and handled by the Company regardless of geographic location. The highest volume species purchased by the business is wild caught shrimp, aquaculture shrimp, wild caught white fish (e.g. cod, haddock, etc.) and wild caught cephalopods from various regions globally.
1.4. The Company does not trade in any live species either to other businesses or to consumers.
1.5. The Company has no direct involvement in primary processing – that is direct capture or raising of species – therefore this policy acknowledges that the business can only indirectly provide influence in these areas through giving preference to suppliers that can demonstrate good practice to industry standards.
1.6. This policy is non-exhaustive, and all aspects of the Company’s business should be considered in the spirit of this policy.
1.7. The management and implementation of this policy is the responsibility of Company’s Technical and Responsible Business department with ultimate accountability sitting with the Board of Directors.
1.8. The processes involved in ensuring the criterion in this policy are effectively implemented include the following:
a) Implementation of a robust vendor assurance and supplier approval system that includes ensuring suppliers and raw materials obtain appropriate accreditation.
b) Supply chain mapping showing transparency through each stage from primary processing to purchasing.
c) Physical audits of suppliers and supply chains.
d) Participation in various sustainable seafood schemes and example of which is the Sustainable Seafood Coalition (SSC) where we are a signatory to a code of conduct.
e) Obtaining appropriate certification for the Company itself through independent audits.
1.9. The Company sets measurable objectives and targets against the criteria set out in this policy. These are reviewed annually, and the results used to determine the following year’s objectives, the results of which are not published.
2. Responsible Sourcing
2.1. The Company sources seafood species using criterium set out within its Supplier Approval Procedure and actively works with suppliers to ensure compliance to the standards it sets.
2.2. In addition to the above, the company is an active member of the Sustainable Seafood Coalition (SSC) and adopts its Codes of Conduct.
2.3. The requirements for sourcing aquaculture species are set out below:
a) Direct supplying facilities are to be in possession of Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmark certification scheme.
b) The Company gives overall preference to sourcing species that are certified to either Best Aquaculture Practice (BAP) 4* or Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and, upon request, be able to demonstrate full chain of custody to either of these schemes. Other accreditation may be considered on a case-by-case basis following internal risk assessment.
c) In instances where BAP or ASC certification are not available then the Company may consider sourcing from suppliers who are part of an active aquaculture improvement project (AIP). This will be based on internal risk assessment.
d) In instances where BAP or ASC certification are not available and there is no active involvement in an AIP then the proposed supplier / supply chain must be audited against a standard devised by the Company that adopts the fundamental principles of BAP or ASC and a subsequent corrective action plan agreed upon to address any findings of non-compliance.
e) Where possible, suppliers must be sourcing feed that adheres to at least one of the following criterium:
i. Marin Trust certified.
ii. BAP certified.
iii. MSC/ASC certification for seafood of seafood ingredients and deforestation & conversion free assured soya.
2.4. The requirements for sourcing wild caught species are set out below:
a) Direct supplying facilities are to be in possession of Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmark certification scheme.
b) The Company gives overall preference to sourcing species that are certified to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and, upon request, be able to demonstrate full chain of custody to this scheme.
c) In instances where MSC certification is not available then the Company may consider sourcing from suppliers who are part of an active fishery improvement project (FIP). This will be based on risk assessment.
d) In instances where MSC certification is not available and there is no active involvement in a FIP then the proposed supplier must be able to demonstrate that there is an improvement plan in place for the fishery.
2.5. During sourcing, preference will be given to suppliers who can demonstrate that they are committed to driving solutions to the problem of lost, abandoned and otherwise discarded fishing gear (more commonly known as ghost gear).
2.6. All suppliers must be registered on the Sedex platform and be linked to the Company.
2.7. Where suppliers are operational in a country deemed a risk or severe risk by amfori are to have undergone an ethical audit within the last 2 years to a standard deemed appropriate by the Company. The main audit schemes are Sedex SMETA and BSCI amfori although other schemes may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
3. Animal Welfare
3.1. The Company recognises the welfare concerns presented by the seafood industry and actively promote practices to mitigate them.
3.2. The Company recognises the sentience of decapod crustaceans (e.g. prawns, lobsters, crabs) and cephalopod molluscs (e.g. octopus, squid, cuttlefish) under the scope of the UK legislation, Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 and, as such, is committed to ensuring their welfare is considered during the sourcing of such species.
3.3. During sourcing, preference will be given to suppliers who can demonstrate that the following methods are not practiced during the capture or raising (for wild caught or aquaculture species), transportation and processing of decapod crustaceans:
a) Eyestalk ablation in shrimp broodstock.
b) Excessive stocking density for aquaculture species.
c) Declawing.
d) Nicking and/or banding of claws.
3.4. During sourcing, preference will also be given to suppliers who can demonstrate that they have a commitment to reduce the negative effects of any capture method on the welfare of the species and to reduce bycatch. Examples include utilising alternate catch methods to trawling and employing fishing gear that allows for escape if lost or abandoned.
3.5. The Company also works to ensure that the appropriate welfare standards are in place during slaughter of all species that are part of the supply chain and, where practical, will support the implementation of alternative methods deemed to be more humane. Where possible, the Company will work with suppliers in ensuring the following methods are not practiced:
a) Live and conscious boiling/steaming
b) Asphyxiation by from deprivation of oxygen or CO2 gassing
c) Chemical anaesthetics
d) Thermal shock or “chill-kill”
3.6. Where practical, electrical stunning must be considered as an operational process prior to slaughter, the effects of which must be sufficient, in that it results in instantaneous insensibility to pain and consciousness and slaughter should be performed immediately thereafter. The effects from the electrical stunning must last until death occurs.
3.7. The company is currently investing in projects that aid in the installation and implementation of electrical stunning at shrimp farms and have funded research into boosting productivity in shrimp broodstock that have not been subject to eyestalk ablation.
3.8. Where practical, suppliers are encouraged that they are employing appropriate species-specific holding and transportation conditions post-capture that takes the welfare of the species into account. The vast majority of species that Company purchased by the Company are not transported whilst alive but, where this is necessary, suppliers are encouraged to avoid long-duration transportation.