Target drops all farmed salmon from stores
All salmon sold under Target-owned brands will now be wild-caught Alaskan salmon.
By Andrea Chang , Los Angeles Times/MCT, January 26, 2010
Target Corp. said Tuesday that it had eliminated all farmed salmon from its fresh, frozen and smoked seafood sections at stores nationwide.
This decision includes national brands and Target's own Archer Farms and Market Pantry labels. All salmon sold under Target-owned brands will now be wild-caught Alaskan salmon; the company also said sushi made with farm-raised salmon will be made with wild-caught salmon by the end of the year.
The discount giant said it wanted to ensure that its salmon was "sourced in a sustainable way that helps to preserve abundance, species health and doesn't harm local habitats."
The company said salmon farms can hurt the environment through pollution, chemicals and parasites.
Julie Packard, executive director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which worked with the retailer on changing its salmon offerings, said stocking seafood from "ocean-friendly sources" would help improve fishing and fish-farming practices around the world.
"Target's decision to source sustainable wild-caught salmon, instead of farmed, will have a real impact in the marketplace _ and ultimately, on the health of our oceans," Packard said.
Minneapolis-based Target operates 1,744 stores in 49 states.
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