We love our producers, suppliers and vendors and we think most of them have some pretty interesting stories behind their products too. We’re sharing some of our favorites here in an ongoing series opens in a new tab.
Wild Planet opens in a new tab always considers the interests of their most important stakeholders — the fish. “Ocean conservation is our first concern. We really view the fish as the major stakeholder,” says William Carvalho, who co-founded Wild Planet with Bill McCarthy in 2003.
After decades in the seafood industry, they decided to cast off common practices that negatively impact our oceans and angle for a more sustainable way of doing business that helps preserve healthy and abundant fish stocks.
“Being in the seafood industry isn't just about making money; it’s about participating in the stewardship of ocean harvest and providing food for people,” William says. “We feel a great responsibility to be an example in the industry . . . doing what is good for the planet.”
All packaged seafood from Wild Planet — including albacore tuna, skipjack tuna, sardines, salmon and shrimp — are sourced from fisheries deemed “best choices for sustainability” by environmental agencies, including Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program opens in a new tab, Blue Ocean Institute opens in a new tab and others.
These fisheries utilize methods that virtually eliminate bycatch, which may include unwanted fish, sharks, rays, sea turtles, seabirds and other creatures that are unintentionally caught along with the target species.
Tuna is caught one fish at a time with pole and line or trolling; sardines and salmon are netted in single-species schools; and shrimp are harvested using mid-water trawling. Sourcing directly from fisheries also allows Wild Planet to control quality and assure traceability, which means every can of tuna is packed with plenty of rich flavor and beneficial omega-3s.
“We follow the fish all the way from the hook to the consumers' plate.”
