Sea Harvest is the Fishing Company in Cape Town with Sustainability at Heart
Known as the fishing company in Cape Town with sustainability at heart, Sea Harvest has proven over the years that sustainability is not a once-off activity, but rather an ongoing approach to the management of resources.
Instead of just focussing on sustainable fishing practices, the fishing company in Cape Town with sustainability at heart has shown that responsible management of natural resources extends to all areas of environmental management.
Sea Harvest operates within the South African wild-caught fishing industry. The industry has been Marine Steward Council (MSC) recertified for three consecutive periods. The South African deep-sea hake fishing industry was also the first fishing industry globally to receive MSC certification in 2005. The MSC is the leading international standard for sustainable wild-caught fishing.
Environmental Responsibility and Conservation
When looking at the company’s environmental management and protection goals, it becomes clear that Sea Harvest is the fishing company in Cape Town with sustainability at heart. Our firm is committed to compliance with legislation related to the reduction of interaction between seabirds and trawling gear of the deep-sea trawlers. This is proven by our company’s deployment of tori lines to scare the birds away from the gear.
Sea Harvest is also committed to fishing within the by-catch limits, with the aim to protect non-target species, such as Kingklip. Our company is furthermore committed to compliance with all requirements of environmental permits. Therefore, when you buy Cape hake from the Sea Harvest product stable, you also contribute to the protection of marine resources.
Responsible Water Management and Pollution Prevention
Our company saved more than 30% of cumulative freshwater usage at the Saldanha Bay processing facility in March 2017 compared to the same period in 2016. The lower consumption of fresh water by our company’s processing facilities is indicative of Sea Harvest’s commitment to reducing the pressure on limited freshwater resources. The controls implemented at the Saldanha Bay processing plant and the subsequent drop in freshwater consumption is proof of our company’s commitment to sustainable practices.
We are a member of the Saldanha Bay Water Quality Forum, where we actively engage in discussions regarding environmental issues that affect Saldanha Bay.
Sea Harvest also monitors pollution at the jetty and harbour, and conducts bi-weekly litter clean-ups at beaches nearby, with the focus on preventing pollution of the coastline. All the waste produced at sea while catching Cape hake and other seafood is kept on the vessels and properly contained to prevent waste from being blown into the sea.
Sea Harvest recycled 71% of all waste products produced in 2016, and received an impressive score of 99% in the 2016 Marsh Environmental Audit. Marsh Environmental Services is a division of Marsh (Pty) Ltd, and is the leading environmental risk services advisory firm in the risk insurance industry.
Developing Environmental Awareness
Recognising the need to develop greater awareness of the importance of environmental protection, our company runs several environmental community projects in the Saldanha Bay region.
Responsible Waste Management
As the fishing company in Cape Town with sustainability at heart, we also commit to responsible waste management. We take a pro-active approach to reducing waste at landfills through a recycling policy in which damaged nets are donated to local community projects where the nets are used in net production for mussel farmers. As such, our recycling efforts also help to create jobs. We furthermore sort waste and recycle wherever possible. All waste produced is effectively controlled and disposal is done in an environmentally responsible way.
Carbon Control
Sea Harvest is equally committed to the reduction of our carbon footprint. We have been measuring our carbon output since 2012, including fuel combustion emissions and use of electricity. The success of our company’s efforts is evident in the year on year reduction of 2,7%, and our intensity emissions per tonne of fish have shown a decrease of 9,46%.
For us at Sea Harvest, the fishing company with sustainability at heart, it is about careful and responsible management of resources, whether such is water, air, land, or fish produce, such as Cape hake.
Support environmentally responsible fishing practices. Buy Sea Harvest products at your nearest grocery store, or the Sea Harvest fish outlets.
