Sustainable Blue awarded top Seafood Watch rating, hires North America development lead.
Sustainable Blue has received a green “Best Choice” rating from the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch programme for its land-based Atlantic salmon, the highest classification issued by the assessment scheme.
The Nova Scotia producer operates a closed-loop, zero-discharge recirculating aquaculture system with no use of antibiotics, pesticides or hormones. Seafood Watch cited the absence of escapes and sea-lice exposure among the factors supporting the rating.
The company has also appointed Erik Nobbe as Head of Business Development for North America. Nobbe, who has held senior roles in the seafood sector, will be responsible for expanding the company’s market presence and managing relationships with retail and food service customers in Canada and the United States.
Sustainable Blue supplies salmon to Sobeys stores across Canada and to a number of food service outlets. The business was established in 2007 by engineer Jeremy Lee and is led by CEO Kirk Havercroft.
Difficult year
Sustainable Blue has faced increased scrutiny over its fish welfare practices in recent months. In September 2024, Canadian animal rights organisation Animal Justice filed a legal complaint with provincial authorities after video footage emerged showing employees euthanising fish using blunt-force methods at the company’s Nova Scotia facility. The group said the practices shown did not align with voluntary industry guidelines, which require rapid loss of consciousness followed by swift death.
The footage was released by a whistleblower and appeared to show workers killing fish considered sick or slow-growing by striking them against tank walls or stomping on them. Animal Justice said the actions potentially contravened provincial animal welfare laws and provisions of the federal Criminal Code concerning unnecessary suffering. Authorities have not yet announced whether a formal investigation will proceed.
The incident followed a mechanical failure in November 2023 that resulted in the loss of around 96,000 fish after a filter malfunction. Sustainable Blue subsequently entered receivership, with operations continuing under court oversight.
