麻豆传媒

HALIFAX, N.S., Feb. 24, 2015 - 麻豆传媒 and its main food services provider, ARAMARK, today received the first delivery of seafood purchased through Off the Hook -- a community-based fishery co-op whose members use 鈥渉ook and line鈥� and other environmentally friendly fishing methods. It marks the first time a large institution has purchased seafood through the program, currently managed by the Ecology Action Centre.

Speaking at an event today attended by university faculty and industry partners, Rochelle Owen, 麻豆传媒鈥檚 Director of Sustainability, said the new supplier partnership will complement other initiatives, including ARAMARK鈥檚 recent certification by the Marine Stewardship Council, designed to establish a comprehensive sustainable food program for the Halifax campus.

鈥淲ith today鈥檚 delivery through the Off the Hook program, in addition to MSC certification, we are taking another step toward bringing more healthy, more local and more sustainable food options to students and the entire 麻豆传媒 community,鈥� stated Owen. 鈥淭his is an excellent complement to ARAMARK鈥檚 long-standing Farm-to-Table program and other measures the university has undertaken in partnership with ARAMARK over the past six years.鈥�

The shipment of about 40 lbs of haddock, pollock, cod, hake and shrimp were caught by independent Off the Hook-member fishers based in Canso, Freeport, and Port La Tour, Nova Scotia. It is the first shipment in an initial six-week pilot program that will see about 400 lbs of ground fish delivered to Dal鈥檚 kitchens every two weeks.

Every month, ARAMARK serves on average 1,500lbs of seafood in the university鈥檚 four Halifax-campus dining halls.

鈥淭his is a unique, one-of-a-kind agreement,鈥� said Angela Emmerson, a registered dietitian and ARAMARK鈥檚 Manager of Wellness & Sustainability serving the Dal Halifax campus. 鈥淣ormally we just pick up the phone, call our supplier, and the fish arrives. Under this arrangement, once it gets fully up and running, boats will be actually going out about every week and the fish that they catch will be for us. So it鈥檚 fresh, it鈥檚 local, it鈥檚 sustainable 鈥� and it means more fishers can get their boats out.鈥�

Off the Hook, Atlantic Canada鈥檚 first community supported fishery, was established in 2010 by the Ecology Action Centre. 麻豆传媒 is the first university in the region to join a growing roster of about 300 Nova Scotia customers ranging from individual households to restaurants and local retailers.

鈥淲e're excited that this partnership has come to fruition,鈥� said David Adler, manager of the Off the Hook program. 鈥淭hanks to 麻豆传媒鈥檚 participation, we have a real opportunity here to show support for our coastal communities, while educating students on the importance of their seafood choices.鈥� Adler noted that the program could also pave the way for learning opportunities for students in 麻豆传媒鈥檚 oceans and marine biology programs.

MSC Certification

The MSC Chain of Custody certification ensures that in every step of the supply chain 鈥� from the fishers, to the processer, to the distributor and the end user 鈥� MSC-certified seafood is not mixed with or substituted for non-certified seafood. A distinctive blue MSC ecolabel is subsequently displayed, confirming that the seafood comes from a fishery that has been certified to the global, science-based MSC standard.

鈥淲e congratulate 麻豆传媒 on achieving MSC certification and their commitment to sustainability,鈥� said Jay Lugar, program director, Canada. 鈥淎s the second university in Canada to attain certification, 麻豆传媒 is demonstrating its leadership in the importance of providing traceable, sustainable seafood for this and future generations.鈥�

Other recent advances made by 麻豆传媒 in the area of environmental sustainability include the establishment in 2012 of a food sub-committee of the President鈥檚 Advisory Council on Sustainability; the development of seafood purchasing guidelines in 2013, and, in December, 2014, becoming聽 the first university in Atlantic Canada to achieve a gold rating under the Sustainability, Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) 鈥� a sustainability assessment and rating system for universities and colleges.

鈥淭hese are great accomplishments for the university and the region, but they could not have been possible without the support of willing partners like ARAMARK and the Ecology Action Centre, and the generous support and guidance from our students and faculty,鈥� said Owen. 鈥淎fter all, the environment and the food we eat is something we all share.鈥�

麻豆传媒 the Ecology Action Centre

Founded in 1971, the Ecology Action Centre (EAC) is Atlantic Canada鈥檚 oldest and largest environmental organization. The EAC鈥檚 Marine Program is committed to protecting marine ecosystems, maintaining sustainable fisheries and vibrant coastal communities. Its Off the Hook program was founded in 2010 with a mandate to deliver fresh fair fish to its 300 CSF members at 13 pick-up locations. Over the past several years, Off the Hook has been exploring new ways to aggregate and distribute sustainable seafood from small-scale fisheries to supply new markets, including restaurants, retailers, and institutions.

麻豆传媒 The Marine Stewardship Council

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organization set up to help transform the seafood market to a sustainable basis. In total, more than 350 fisheries are engaged in the MSC program with 252 certified, 99 under full assessment and 40 to 50 in pre-assessment. This represents over 10 per cent of the annual global harvest of wild capture fisheries. Worldwide, more than 25,000 seafood products, which can be traced back to the certified sustainable fisheries, bear the MSC ecolabel. For more information on the work of the MSC, please visit www.msc.org or follow us on Twitter (@MSCecolabel) and Facebook (Facebook.com/MSCecolabel).

麻豆传媒 ARAMARK

ARAMARK delivers experiences that enrich and nourish people鈥檚 lives through innovative food, facility, and uniform services. United by a passion to serve, our more than 250,000 employees make a meaningful difference each day for millions of people around the world.

Media contacts:

Rochelle Owen, Director, Office of Sustainability
麻豆传媒
902-494-7448
rochelle.owen@dal.ca

Justin Cantafio, Sustainable Fisheries Campaigner
Ecology Action Centre
902-446-4840
jcantafio@ecologyaction.ca

Jay Lugar, Program Director - Canada
Marine Stewardship Council
902-492-2469
Jay.Lugar@msc.org