Parlevliet & Van der Plas

Engagement for policy advocacy

Parlevliet & Van der Plas plays an active role in policy advocacy, engaging in both individual and collective capacities, and demonstrates a systematic approach at the parent and subsidiary levels. More specifically, the group is involved in policy advocacy in its home country the Netherlands through its membership in the Dutch Pelagic Ship-owners Association (RVZ), the Dutch Pelagic Producer Organisation (PO) and the Pelagic Freezer-trawler Association (PFA).

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

Parlevliet & Van der Plas has developed a detailed approach to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fish from entering its supply chain. This approach involves a combination of following relevant legislation and increasing the number of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certificates that Parlevliet & Van der Plas products hold. Furthermore, subsidiary Heiploeg Group conducts an “authenticity risk assessment”, one of the few carried out by a benchmark company. Through this assessment, along with frequent controls, the group determines the likelihood of IUU fishing in its operations and the severity of the risk, as well as identifies actions that should be taken to prevent or correct the issue for each species and how frequent controls should be.

Support for worker voice

Parlevliet & Van der Plas’ approach to engaging and empowering workers sets an example on how to promote human and labour rights through collaboration with unions, particularly for workers along its supply chains. The group holds social dialogues with various worker organisations, such as the representative body for fishermen in the European Union (Europêche). Parlevliet & Van der Plas also states that it conducts social audits on its suppliers to ensure that workers’ voice is respected across the group’s supply chain.

Sustainability strategy

The group has an opportunity to significantly improve upon its sustainability reporting, as it currently discloses only a limited amount of qualitative information about the group’s sustainability activities and programmes. Parlevliet & Van der Plas can supplement its current strategy with time-bound objectives and targets that cover important environmental and social metrics in order to improve accountability and transparency around its sustainability responsibilities.

Environmental footprint

Parlevliet & Van der Plas states that it has been decreasing its use of plastic in recent years, switching from 100 percent plastic packaging to 95 percent paperboard, and is already reducing its overall use of Polystyrene by 2.7 million boxes annually. The group also discloses what mechanisms it uses to lessen greenhouse gas emissions (e.g. installing solar panels) as well as food loss and waste in its operations (e.g. prohibiting its vessels from discarding species that are quota-limited). However, Parlevliet & Van der Plas does not provide quantifiable evidence to support reductions in emissions or food loss, nor does it share any forward-looking targets.

Implementation of human and labour rights policies

Several of Parlevliet & Van der Plas’ subsidiaries, including Euro Baltic, Deutsche See and Heiploeg Group, have committed to respecting human and labour rights. At group level however, there is lack of public disclosure of its approaches regarding how working conditions are being monitored in its operations.