Protect
marine resources
for the future of
our food

The ocean feeds 3 billion people worldwide, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. However, 95% of marine species and 94% of marine habitats are in poor condition, according to the French Office for Biodiversity and Marine Biodiversity Protection.

This alarming observation led a Breton cannery, Maison CHANCERELLE, based in Douarnenez, to realize the importance of protecting marine resources to continue offering sustainable seafood products.

How? By implementing an approach that promotes responsible fishing, protects fishing professionals, and enhances product quality and transparency.

An approach that has
developed over time

01

The pioneers of
sustainable fishing

The pioneers of
sustainable fishing

Prior to the completion of this initiative, as early as the 1990s, organizations (NGOs, associations, etc.) had already addressed the subject and proposed solutions. This is notably the case for the global non-profit organization MSC (Marine Stewardship Council), which promotes sustainable fishing practices and raises awareness of the environmental impacts of overfishing.

This organization is notably behind the eponymous blue label, whose primary goal is to guarantee consumers that seafood and fishery products have been sustainably caught, respecting fish stocks and marine habitats.

Several seafood products obtained the MSC label as early as 2002.

02

The Canners' Collective
Charter:
8 themes for a
sustainable commitment

The Canners' Collective
Charter:
8 themes for a
sustainable commitment

In 2014, the 14 players in fish canning (companies belonging to the “Canned Fish” group of FIAC, the Federation of Canned Food Industries) met to define and draft the Collective Commitment Charter around 8 key themes.

Preserving marine resources

This commitment is reflected in sourcing exclusively from legal and certified fisheries, rigorous monitoring of stock status based on the work of the CITTPM (Confederation of Marine Fishery and Aquaculture Product Processing Industries), and the implementation of a purchasing policy that integrates the preservation of resources for various fish species.

Promoting sustainable fishing

This involves committing to sustainable and responsible fishing, respectful of biodiversity, by adhering to recognized organizations (ISSF - International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, etc.), sourcing from certified fisheries, and defining clear requirements for suppliers. This approach also includes respecting the rules of RFMOs (Regional Fisheries Management Organizations) and encouraging good practices in tuna fishing through controlled channels.

Integrating social, environmental, and economic CSR concerns into business activities

This involves reducing the impact of activities on the environment and society by collectively committing to responsible energy and water management, particularly through process optimization. It also involves promoting sorting, recycling, and valorization of packaging and co-products. Finally, it means guaranteeing respect for fundamental labor principles and rights as defined by the ILO (International Labour Organization), regardless of the production location, and supporting the development of the French coastal economy through the creation and maintenance of thousands of jobs.

Strictly controlling product quality

Specifically, this involves rigorously selecting raw material suppliers and implementing strict controls on finished products. It also means ensuring meticulous compliance with current European regulations for canned fish, while, where possible, pursuing initiatives aimed at developing higher quality standards.

Ensuring optimal health safety

Operationally, this involves rigorously applying the guide to good hygiene practices and HACCP principles to prevent and identify food hygiene-related hazards. It also includes enriching the collective database on product health quality, established by the CITTPM, as well as the certification of production sites or any private standard (IFS, BRC, etc.) by an independent third-party organization.

Ensuring rigorous traceability

To achieve this objective, suppliers must be prohibited from any transshipment at sea, tracking systems must be used to ensure precise traceability at every stage of fish canning preparation from the vessel, and a commitment must be made to communicate this data upon request.

Preserving the nutritional qualities of fish

This commitment involves adopting fish preparation techniques that preserve their nutritional qualities (omega 3, proteins, etc.) while offering gourmet recipes. It also includes applying nutritional labeling and claims based on reliable data. Finally, it means making practical and up-to-date products available to encourage and facilitate fish consumption.

Fulfilling a civic role

This involves defending, perpetuating, and promoting unique expertise, combining innovation and respect for tradition, to offer consumers high-quality canned fish.

03

2015: A responsible
purchasing policy
based on 4 pillars

2015: A responsible
purchasing policy
based on 4 pillars

In 2015, Maison CHANCERELLE implemented a fish purchasing policy within its company, structured around 4 pillars:

Social requirements

Marine resource management

Product quality

Transparency

Specifically, regarding the resource preservation pillar, this involves, for example, taking into account and respecting scientific recommendations as well as those from NGOs concerning the status of fish stocks.

For product quality, the aim is to guarantee optimal freshness of the fish.

As for social requirements, the goal is to ensure good social conditions aboard fishing vessels.

Finally, concerning the transparency pillar, Maison CHANCERELLE ensures complete traceability of its products, from sea to plate.

04

Bureau Veritas,
guarantor of the rigor
of the approach

Bureau Veritas,
guarantor of the rigor
of the approach

Over the years, this fish purchasing policy has been structured and led to the definition of specifications, initially broken down into 36 evaluation criteria, controlled since 2019 by an independent certification body, Bureau Veritas. This evaluation determines whether fish supplies align with market standards for each of the 4 pillars.

On a scale from –2 to +2, the overall score obtained must be greater than 0 (a score of 0 being equivalent to market standards) for the quality, social requirements, and transparency pillars, and greater than 0.5 for the resource management pillar, for the raw material to be recognized as Responsibly Fished.

Adopting a Responsible Fishing approach requires frequent audits within the company and partner sites by Bureau Veritas. Bureau Veritas then proposes action plans and recommendations concerning the 4 pillars.

05

Engage
with us

Engage
with us

We provide you with all the constituent elements of the approach, from the complete specifications to the details of the 46 scoring criteria and labels.

The specifications detailing the responsible fishing approach initiated by Maison CHANCERELLE are available for consultation by all. Companies wishing to adopt it may do so provided they submit to regular audits by Bureau Veritas, the independent control body, which verifies and certifies compliance with practices.

Previously based on 36 scoring criteria, the approach now comprises 46 criteria, covering the 4 pillars of responsible fishing: marine resource management, product quality, social requirements, and transparency.

Since 2020, products controlled for responsible fishing are recognizable on shelves thanks to a label affixed to the front or back of the products. The mention "controlled by an independent body" guarantees the robustness and reliability of the approach.