HQ Sustainable:
A Good Catch in China
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E-mailWhen it comes to food safety, the ability to be able to track exactly where products come from and the environmental conditions under which they are created is imperative, says Norbert Sporns, CEO of HQ Sustainable Maritime Industries Inc. (HQS). This level of traceability, he adds, is what sets HQS apart from other companies in the industry.
The company raises tilapia on Hainan Island in the South China Seas, which offers a temperate climate and a pollution-free environment protected by the Chinese government. In this remote setting, the CEO explains, the company controls every aspect of production, from the inland ponds where fish are raised to the final delivery of every fish filet produced.
HQS’s vertical integration is a rarity in the aquaculture industry, Sporns says, because most seafood processors depend on ocean-caught fish or fish raised in cages in large bodies of water, two methods that can have negative environmental impacts. Now, more major retailers, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) and McDonald’s Corp. (MCD), are demanding a higher level of environmental certification in the products they buy, says Sporns.
In fact, HQS says it is working directly with the Aquaculture Certification Council to develop food safety standards for the entire industry. It reports that it is also working with leading environmental organizations, including the World Wildlife Fund, to develop an eco-standard for tilapia aquaculture. “The importance here is that buyers want sustainable products,” Sporns says.
