Whole Foods Market Inc., which runs seven stores in metro Atlanta, is imposing stricter standards on the seafood it sells.
The Austin-based grocery company says the new guidelines being
implemented across its 270 stores in the United States, Canada and
United Kingdom are intended to reduce potential environmental effects
of fishing and will require vendor partners to pass third-party audits
reviewing every detail of the standards.
Whole Foods says it spent two years researching all
aspects of fish farming, seeking out ways to minimize environmental
impact while still securing high-quality fish. 
Whole Foods' quality standards already prohibited the use of antibiotics, preservatives and other additives.
The new standards include:
- Producers required to minimize the effects of fish farming
on the environment by protecting sensitive habitats such as mangrove
forests and wetlands;
- Producers must provide detailed information on farming practices;
-
Auditors must be able to trace the product from the hatcheries to the
ponds and tanks and finally to the plans where they are processed;
- Toxic chemicals such as malachite green and organophosphate pesticides are prohibited.
"Whole Foods Market's new aquaculture purchasing policy sets a high
bar for food retailers eager to provide healthy, ocean-friendly seafood
for consumers across the country," says Becky Goldburg, a senior
scientist with Environmental Defense Fund, which contributed to the
policy. "When a leading retailer...makes this kind of commitment to
standards for farmed seafood, suppliers around the world will work to
meet the requirements."
Source: http://www.bizjournals.com