COSTA looks to sustainable seafood source

As signatory of the United Nations-Global Compact both apetito Group and COSTA have committed to undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility and encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.

"As one of the prime seafood companies in Germany, we consider the activities of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) in line with these principles and support the standard setting process by actively contributing to the multi-stakeholder Aquaculture Dialogues," said Egbert Zimmermann, managing director of COSTA Meeresspezialitäten GmbH in Emden.

The company will review and comment especially on the Aquaculture Dialogues' draft standards for prawns and salmons. It is important that the standards not only refer to environmental protection but also guarantee the basic human rights and the international acknowledged labour standards of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), he said.

"We aim by means of own on-site control and collaboration with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and ASC to ensure that by end of 2011 the majority of our wild or farmed fish and seafood has been sourced from suppliers which are either certified or adhere to the principles of environmentally friendly and socially responsible production," he added.

COSTA is one of the leading prime fish and seafood companies in Germany. Over the years it specialises in the manufacture of frozen sea specialities.

The apetito group, headquartered in Rheine, Germany, is one of Europe's leading suppliers of quality frozen food and catering solutions, with businesses in Germany, The Netherlands, France, the UK and Canada.

Since the November 2007 Costa marine specialities is a member of the apetito Group.