Del Pacifico’s wild-caught shrimp are fished from small boats known
as Pangas powered only by the wind and the tide, rather than the
industry-standard trawler. This artisanal fishing technique, along with a
selective net, results in the lowest bycatch and fuel consumption per pound of
shrimp in the entire world.
Additionally, with their limited range and storage, Pangas must
off-load within hours of a catch. Del Pacifico's shrimp specialists pick up the
catch every day and take it to their state-of-the-art processing facility,
where the shrimp are processed, flash-frozen and shipped within just a few
hours of netting. There are no chemicals used, and the shrimp is only frozen
once (as opposed to the trawling method which requires shrimp to be twice
frozen).
“All of our fishermen
are trained under the Friend of the Sea fishery standard that demands full
traceability and keeping records of the very low bycatch that our vessels
have,” said Ruben Castro Dario, Chief Executive Officer of Del Pacifico. “We
also undergo an annual third-party audit to maintain the Friend of the Sea
certification".
Del Pacifico Wild Caught Shrimp is
completely traceable. Each Panga boat is equipped with a solar-powered
tracker which monitors the boat’s movements via satellite. Consumers can
go to the company’s website and enter in the lot number on their package to
learn when and where their shrimp was caught.
In 2016, Del Pacifico Seafood became the
first shrimp company in the world to receive Fair Trade Certification after
meeting all requirements relating to labor, trade and responsible environmental
practices. A percentage of the company’s sales goes back to the fishing
communities to implement social and environmental programs.
“When
you buy Del Pacifico, you’re not only getting one of the highest-quality shrimp
on the market, you are also supporting the fishers, their families, their
community, and the water,” said Paolo Bray,
Founder, and Director at Friend of the Sea.
Friend of the Sea, Friend of the Earth is the preeminent worldwide certification body of
sustainable fishing, aquaculture (the only body that does both), agriculture
and farming products. Friend of the Sea, Friend of the Earth has certified 1,000
companies in over 100 countries.
For more information, visit Friend of the Sea
Del
Pacifico Seafood was founded in 2014 with the mission to produce the world’s
highest quality shrimp using the most sustainable methods of harvest and
processing that exist today. Working in close collaboration with artisanal
fishermen, offering them a fair chance to compete in the global seafood market,
has allowed them to promote sustainable fishing practices and bring the world’s
best shrimp to new markets. In addition to the Fair Trade and Friend of the Sea
certifications, they are also certified BRC, ASC and B Corp. They are also
members of the 1% for the Planet organization.
For more information, visit Del Pacifico Seafoods and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.