News & Views Business Management Fish Nutrition Nutrition & Feed products Regulations
Nutreco and Skretting publish new responsible sourcing policy for aqua feed transparency

Nutreco and Skretting have published a new responsible sourcing policy to be used as a practical guide to determine the type of marine ingredients that can be sourced for its global operations, as the company looks to protect the ocean and ensure that fish stocks intended for direct or indirect human consumption are caught within clearly defined, sustainable limits.

The new policy, which was developed through internal collaboration within Nutreco and Skretting at a global and local level, aligns with Nutreco’s Sustainability RoadMap 2025. This RoadMap aims to ensure that by 2025, Skretting sources marine ingredients that are 100 per cent certified or coming from a fishery improvement project for its global operations, as well as ensuring that all the fishmeal and fish oil used to produce feed originate from fisheries that are managed according to the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.

The policy is built on a risk-based approach, and reflects the realities in the markets and included comments and revisions from external stakeholders.

Important areas addressed in the policy include:

• Specific criteria on what to buy according to five sustainability classes of marine ingredients coming from whole fish, by-products from wild fish catch and by-products from aquaculture, aligned with the most important fishery management certifications in the industry.
• Clear purchasing targets for each sustainability class defined, both the relative share of purchases and a defined timeline to reach the ambitions set in Nutreco’s Sustainaiblity RoadMap 2025.
• Mapping  of countries identified with a high risk of IUU fishing activities. Marine ingredients from these countries cannot be sourced unless they come from the highest sustainability classes. The policy in this area supports Nutreco and Skretting’s commitment and work in SeaBOS.

Mapping of countries identified with a high risk of forced labour on board fishing vessels. For these countries there are additional requirements to marine ingredient manufacturers.