Green Marine
Fishermen’s Finest, Inc. awarded Green Marine Certification
Kirkland, Washington, June 3, 2021 – Fishermen’s Finest, Inc. is the first commercial fishing fleet to achieve certification under the Green Marine environmental certification program for the maritime industry. The program’s participating members distinguish themselves within the marine sector as they undertake to measure their annual environmental performance with clear goals to reduce their footprint. Fishermen’s Finest is the third Washington State fleet to achieve Green Marine certification, after the Washington State Ferries and Puget Sound Pilots.
“Global warming is a reality for our ship captains and crews who have been fishing for more than 30 years, witness firsthand the recent warming ocean, receding Bering Sea ice and corresponding changes in fish behavior,” says Helena Park, Fishermen’s Finest CEO. “We are the stewards of the resource, so it is incumbent upon all of us in commercial fishing to reduce commercial fishing’s carbon footprint as much as possible. The Green Marine framework will help get us towards our company goal of operating a net-zero carbon fleet. We started towards this goal by building a new vessel that reduces fuel consumption by 66% and investing in the first sale of urban forest carbon credits in King County.”
Fishermen’s Finest has carried out all the steps leading to its initial certification after completing a comprehensive self-evaluation based on the criteria for all of the program’s applicable performance indicators and submitting these baseline results for independent third-party verification by one of Green Marine’s accredited verifiers. The certification was formally awarded today upon Green Marine releasing its Annual Performance Report for 2020 that showcases the individual results and progress of all of Green Marine’s certified participants.
“We’re delighted to welcome Fishermen’s Finest as the first fishing fleet into the Green Marine program,” said David Bolduc, Green Marine’s executive director. “Our program covers a wide range of environmental issues and is suitable for all types of ship owners, including companies operating fishing vessels. However, since our program does not extend to the fishing activities of such companies, they are required to be independently certified by a recognized standard for sustainable harvesting practices before they can join Green Marine and earn the certification. This requirement was met by Fishermen’s Finest since they are already MSC certified (Marine Stewardship Council).”
Green Marine offers a specific framework for port authorities, terminal operators, ship owners, and shipyard managers to productively and measurably reduce their environmental footprint. The program addresses a number of priority environmental issues through its 14 performance indicators – eight of which are designated for ship owners. On a scale of Levels 1 to 5, the indicators assess the practices and technologies with a direct impact on: underwater noise, air emissions (NOX, SOX, and PM), greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e), aquatic invasive species, waste management, oily discharges, and ship recycling.
More than 150 Canadian and U.S. participants have joined, among an overall membership of almost 400 organizations in the program. The participants’ annual certification process is rigorous and transparent with the results independently verified every two years.
About Fishermen’s Finest
Fishermen’s Finest is a respected independent American fishing company that harvests and processes groundfish in the North Pacific and the Bering Sea. The company’s outstanding crew, exceptional fishing vessels, and dedicated employees work together to produce the highest quality fish products available. Operational excellence, uncompromising quality, and a strong commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable fishery resource management have made Fishermen’s Finest a true leader in its field.
Green Marine Overview
Founded in 2007, Green Marine’s North American environmental certification program is the result of the voluntary effort by the maritime industry to go beyond regulations. Green Marine’s uniqueness lies in its collaborative approach and the active participation of environmental, academic, and governmental organizations in the development and revision of the criteria. The program has more than 80 such supporter members.
For more information:
Green Marine
Manon Lanthier
Communications Manager
Cell: 418.569-5110 manon.lanthier@green-marine.org
Fishermen’s Finest
Annika Saltman
Government and Regulatory Affairs
Office: (206) 283-1137
Cell: (770) 826-3467 asaltman@fishermensfinest.com
