International sustainability consultant Quantis has been approved by the Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) to conduct a comprehensive life cycle assessment of the wild Alaska Pollock industry.
Life Cycle Assessment is an internationally recognized approach to evaluating potential environmental impacts of products and services throughout their life cycle, beginning with raw material extraction and including all aspects of transportation, manufacturing, use and end-of-life treatment.
“We believe the results will help our customers get a better picture of the environmental profile of wild Alaska Pollock and confirm its lower impacts relative to other proteins,” said Craig Morris, chief executive officer of GAPP, who announced the plan on Aug. 15.
Morris explained that this assessment will serve as the foundation for the industry’s sustainability story, helping to provide the necessary proof points for wild Alaska Pollock customers and consumers seeking more information on the fishery’s sustainability indicators. Evidence would suggest that the wild Alaska Pollock fishery’s carbon footprint is significantly lower than other proteins, he said.
The full evaluation is expected to take about seven months. Once completed, Quantis will work with GAPP’s agency of record, Ketchum, to develop materials that communicate the results to both customers and consumers in North America and abroad.
“GAPP believes that wild Alaska Pollock is well ahead of the cure when it comes to sustainability,” Morris said. “It’s time we measure the steps the industry has taken to be as conscientious as possible and use those metrics to further develop the wild Alaska Pollock narrative.”
