Bumble Bee Foods

Bycatch mitigation

Bumble Bee Foods applies a detailed approach with several measures to mitigate bycatch. The company’s mitigation measures include using non-entangling fish aggregating devices by purse seine vessels, prohibiting ecologically harmful nets, and relying on vessels to use gears that reduce shark and turtle bycatch. It also actively follows recommendations laid out by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, with a third-party audit confirming the implementation. Subsidiary Anova Food also works to mitigate bycatch in its operations and is involved in an awareness raising campaign in Vietnam.

Implementation of human and labour rights policies

Bumble Bee Foods demonstrates a commitment to respect and uphold labour rights in its supply chains, has established a supplier code of conduct and third-party social audit program. The company is also member of the Seafood Task Force. The company further states that it is committed to ending modern slavery and has partnered with the “Not for Sale” campaign in Vietnam. However, while Bumble Bee Foods has an anonymous system called Ethics Point, it does not provide information regarding what procedures are in place to provide remediation for any adverse human rights impacts resulting from its operations. While the company has comprehensive mechanisms for ensuring health and safety in its operations, it could be more transparent about how it tracks and reports workplace accidents.

Sustainability strategy

Bumble Bee Foods has developed a centralised sustainability strategy that is comprised of four pillars – nourishing lifestyles, sustaining fisheries, conserving resources and a thriving workplace. Each subsidiary implements and executes this strategy with approaches specific to the markets and regions in which they operate, demonstrating efficient management and responsibility allocation throughout the entire company. However, this strategy could be improved by setting forward-looking and time-bound targets for important social and environmental issues.

Traceability

Bumble Bee Foods uses a integrated approach towards fisheries management. To assess its fisheries, the company engages third-party experts who evaluate stock status and the impact on ecosystems, ensure the fisheries are being managed sustainably and develop recommendations for improvements. The Bumble Bee Foods website also includes a “trace my catch” page where consumers can find out where their tuna, salmon, sardines or clams comes from and which fishing technique was used. While its approach is thorough at the level of singular products, the company could increase accountability by disclosing more detailed information, and on a much larger scale, regarding the species, volumes, geographic location and management status of the fish products it sources.

Environmental footprint

While Bumble Bee Foods reports on its environmental footprint, there is still room for improvement across several important metrics. For instance, although the company’s freshwater usage decreased by 7 percent in 2016 from the 2015 baseline, water usage per unit increased by 7 percent due to lower production volumes. Similarly, scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions increased by 2 percent between 2015 and 2017. Despite these increases, the company does not disclose any mechanisms it uses to reverse these negative environmental impacts.

Support for local communities

Anova Food, a subsidiary of Bumble Bee Foods, states that it directly engages with small-scale fishermen and communities in Indonesia. The company through its Fishing & Living (F&L) Initiative and sustainability projects, such as the Fair-Trade program works on capacity building with small-scale producers thereby generating additional income to fishing communities, supporting their livelihood and improving food security. Bumble Bee Foods should formulate policies at the group-level that commit to respecting the rights of local communities and solidify its support for local communities in the areas of its operations.