MARINE STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL..MACs mom

[clarionreef]

Oceans will soon be emptied of fish, warns WWF
(DPA)

27 September 2005



VIENNA - The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) warned on Tuesday that if present fishing practices continue, the world’s oceans will soon be emptied of fish.


WWF spokesman Thomas Kaissl said in a statement that every year, 80 million tons of fish and other marine animals were caught, four times more than half a century ago, throughout the world.

“If we do not put a rigorous halt to the global exploitation of our oceans, they will soon be fished empty,” he said.

The WWF called on consumers only to buy fish which they knew came from secure and replacable stocks. But at present, financial interests still often prevailed over ecological ones, even if it ultimately meant an end to sea fishing.

The statement said it recommended the purchase of sea fish with the blue label of the “Marine Stewardship Council” (MSC).

The MSC initiative was founded in 1997 by the Unilever concern and the WWF to stop the extinction of maritime species.


The MSC says products with its label come from fish caught with methods aimed at preserving their stocks.
Steve

Coincidental similarities to our very own MAC? .... 8O ....naaah!

 

[clarionreef]

Friday September 16, 05:12 PM




Related Quotes
Unilever Plc
ULVR.L
549.50


Unilever [ WWFs partner in the program ] considers European frozen foods sale
LONDON (Reuters) - Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant Unilever (LSE: ULVR.L - news) said on Friday it will start a strategic review of its west European frozen-food business, which analysts say is set to see a sell-off for up to 2 billion euros (1.4 billion pounds).

The businesses under the spotlight include BirdsEye in Britain, Findus in Italy and Iglo across Germany, the Netherlands and other northern European countries, and the review comes after a number of attempts by Unilever to revive their sales growth.

Unilever runs the largest branded frozen-food business in Europe, .
"We believe a disposal of the frozen foods business is the most likely option," said analyst Arjan Sweere at Dutch broker Petercam, adding it was a further sign that new Chief Executive Patrick Cescau was shaking up the Unilever organisation after the group's first-ever profits warning in September 2004.

Sweere said a sale could prompt share buy-backs of up to 3 billion euros in 2006, in addition to the group's planned 500 million euros of buy-backs this year.

Analysts said that although the business is profitable it has suffered from low sales growth due to a poor image of frozen food as it competes against fresh foods, and sales actually declined in Britain in the first six months of 2005.
They said it was difficult to see a single trade buyer emerging for the whole business, which accounts for nearly 5 percent of Unilever's group sales, and believe the parts may attract private-equity buyers such as Lion Capital and Apax.

"In frozen foods it is the best of the bunch, but has suffered in the UK from the poor image of frozen food and is struggling in Germany and France," analyst David Lang at Investec Securities said.

REPORT DUE EARLY 2006

The business had annual sales of just over 2 billion euros in 2004, and analysts estimate it made around 250 million euros of earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA). On a multiple of 7 to 8 times, this would put a value on the business towards 2 billion euros.

The whole business covers 11 countries with five factories, two of which are in eastern England at Lowestoft and Hull, concentrating on frozen fish and vegetables.

Unilever insists the review is open-ended and an internal team is expected to report back during the first-quarter of 2006. An investment bank will be appointed when needed.

"It is genuinely an all-options, open review right through from one end of looking at possible acquisitions to the other end of total or partial sale and all things in between," a spokesman told Reuters.

Two years ago, Unilever highlighted three underperforming businesses which needed to improve or be sold off.

The first was Prestige cosmetics, including Calvin Klein, which has now been sold, the second was frozen foods, and the third household products such as Domestos and Cif cleaners, so it came as no surprise Unilever was reviewing frozen foods.

Unilever also said on Friday it was considering selling its Mora frozen snacks business in Belgium and the Netherlands which employs about 600 people.

"It is expected that Mora can create more value under different ownership by focussing more on the brand and the snacks market," Unilever said.

(Additional reporting by Dan Lalor and Mark Potter)


Uhh? 8O
I thought the shift in strategy had to due with....how did they put it?
"and the WWF to stop the extinction of maritime species. "
So... was it desperation at losing market shares...or born again concern for the environment?
And that led Unilever corporation to team up with the WWF to create a new marketing strategy....that failed.
.

 

[PeterIMA]

Steve, Can you more clearly explain why the Marine Stewardship Council was formed (by WWF with Unilever), and what you think has happened (why you think Unilever dumped its shares in the fishing industry).

Peter Rubec

 

[clarionreef]

MSC certification
In 1996, Unilever began working with the international conservation organisation WWF, to help establish a certification programme for sustainable fisheries – known as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). This became an independent non-profit organisation in 1999.

Increasingly, shoppers can choose fish products that bear the MSC logo. The logo provides the assurance that the fish comes from sustainable fisheries, independently certified to the MSC Standard. More than 200 products made by different companies worldwide now carry the MSC logo.

"Certification completes the link from fishermen to consumers, allowing us to include on-pack information – in the form of a well recognised, reputable logo – that allows consumers to demonstrate to suppliers that sustainable fishing counts," says Unilever Chairman, Antony Burgmans.

Encouraging certification
Unilever encourages its suppliers to seek certification to the MSC Standard. In October 2004, one of the world's biggest whitefish fisheries – the Bering Sea Aleutian Islands (BSAI) Alaskan pollock fishery – was certified to the MSC Standard. The nearby Gulf of Alaska fishery is in the final stages of certification. This is significant for Unilever because more than half of its supplies for its frozen fish business in Europe are Alaskan pollock. The launch of products made from newly-certified MSC Alaskan pollock means the proportion of our Europen fish products made from MSC-certified fish is expected to jump from 4% to 50% by the end of 2005.

Unilever also sources fish from two other fisheries that are MSC certified – the South African hake fishery (certified in April 2004) and the New Zealand hoki fishery (certified in 2001). The Chilean hake fishery is also undergoing certification. Our first product certified to the MSC Standard was Alaskan salmon, launched in Switzerland in 2000 but subsequently discontinued for commercial reasons.

Now,
....Sounds familiar doesn't it?
The MAC was an offshoot of this larger program thrust and was imagined to be as simple as frozen fish caught on factory style boats w/ easily identifiable batches.
Unilever takes a lot of fish....measured in thousands of tons and millions of dollars with high tech boats. Fish supplies need to keep up and the take has segued into "groundfish" as the ideal species like cod decline.

Unilevers [ among other operators] ambitions demand all the fish possible and this invokes sustainability as a business farming principal....Its got nothing to do with feel good environmentalism. ...but in insuring supply to meet demand.
Born in this rarified atmosphere, MACs creators assumed things to be replicable, reproduceable and easy to market like the easily accountable frozen product..
Then, when the differences and problems in a live product from a thousand poor fishing villages became glaringly apparent [instead of a fleet of fancy factory ships producing a frozen one] .... they hid the difficulties and played for time.

The lack of intellectual curiousity about the subject matter, the differences in methodology needed, the ignorance of fish, Filipinos and handling livestock...etc. etc... at MAC is appalling and the narrow focus on forging ahead with a business timetable without the knowledge, experience and talent a 100% certifiable failure.
Steve

 

[clarionreef]

Taken from a 1997 TNC NEWSLETTER

"The Conservancy will collaborate with other organisations in the establishment of two separate certification programmes for the food and aquarium-fish trades. Both initiatives are being designed to encourage sustainable fishing practices. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Environmental Solutions International, TNC, National Aquarium, PETSMART, and others are supporting The Marine Aquarium Fish Council, an independent organisation that will set standards and oversee environmental certification and education in the aquarium industry. The Marine Stewardship Council, formed by WWF and Unilever, will establish market incentives via a certification system."

Sounded like something conspiratorial didn't it.
But no...it was in fact how they were brought into this world.
Petsmart was the intended primary recipient of the pseudo eco-windfall.
Steve
Even I am surprised at the tactical stupidity this early cabal of ill informed , would-be industry hijackers.
PETSMART was to be the banner carrier for sustainable fisheries???
oh...say it ain't so,,,

 

[clarionreef]

The Nature Conservancy programme
... Nature (WWF), Environmental Solutions International, TNC, National Aquarium, PETSMART, ... The Marine Stewardship Council, formed by WWF and Unilever, ...

http://www.spc.int/coastfish/News/LRF/2/8TNC.htm

IVE REEF FISH
TNC, National Aquarium, PETSMART, and others are. supporting The Marine Aquarium Fish Council, an ... WWF will also consider the possibility of CITES list- ...

http://www.spc.int/coastfish/News/LRF/2/LRF2.pdf