In celebration of World Oceans Day, Iberostar is creating a digital space for NGOs and industry alike to discuss why responsible seafood consumption is critical to the wellbeing of our planet.
In its online conversation series “Riding the Wave,” these discussions will immediately follow Iberostar’s announcement of its roadmap for 100% responsible seafood consumption in its operations by 2025. The roadmap is one of the tourism sector’s most ambitious yet, not only valuing high-volume certified seafood but also building pathways for higher transparency in supply chains, elevating gastronomical excellence, supporting local fisheries and engaging millions of clients throughout the process.
Through the social media channels of Wave of Change – Iberostar’s pioneering responsible tourism movement to preserve the environment and protect the oceans surrounding their properties – the hotel chain will share conversations with speakers from The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund (WWF), FishWise, Fishin’ Co, Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI), Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Fair Trade USA and Conservation International in a four-part discussion series. The discussions explore the challenges of defining sustainable seafood, unveil hopeful stories of progress that have helped communities and reflect the type of commitment that these organizations, and Iberostar, have towards responsible seafood.
One of the key elements that makes Iberostar’s Wave of Change movement a driver for change is the rigorous scientific approach applied to each of their three pillars: moving beyond plastics and towards a circular economy, promoting responsible seafood consumption and improving coastal health.
Iberostar is setting a standard towards responsibly-sourced seafood while relying on gastronomic excellence to revolutionize the path towards responsible consumption. The hotel chain is committed to having 100% responsible seafood consumption in its operations by 2025. In order to achieve this commitment, Iberostar has defined responsible seafood in a way that supports critical certification standards, makes progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and puts a focus on benefiting the local fisheries in the places where they operate.
“At Iberostar, it was critical that we not only support the incredible work towards certifications like MSC, Best Aquaculture Practices and ratings by groups like Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch but also open new doorways for how tourism can commit to improving the health of our oceans through responsible consumption of seafood” says Dr. Megan Morikawa, Global Director of Sustainability at Iberostar Group. “This meant laying out time-bound quantified targets in more than just our seafood sourcing and finding ways to support sustainable local but not certified or rated seafood options.”
Following this commitment, Iberostar recently joined GSSI as their first funding tourism partner. This new alliance will allow the hotel chain to use the benchmarking tool as an opportunity to expand its responsible seafood procurement and support new initiatives. GSSI is a public-private partnership focused on seafood sustainability with 90+ stakeholders industry-wide, which promotes sector-wide collaboration to drive forward more sustainable seafood for everyone.
“It’s very important that we work alongside our suppliers as the entire industry adjusts to the challenges presented by COVID-19,” says Adriana Sanchez, Iberostar’s Responsible Seafood Strategy Director. “We want to be a source of information, a catalyst for change that helps everyone navigate this new normal with an even more responsible offering in our seafood. This is why it is a major focus for Iberostar’s return to business.”
