I am aware of many retail decision-makers—Kroger, Whole Foods Market, Costco Wholesale, Walmart, Target, Safeway, Albertsons Companies—who I am fortunate to engage with on this platform. Accordingly, I want to bring your attention to the culture of dishonesty perpetuated by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), which exposes your businesses to litigation and reputational risks through indefensible claims about the products you’re distributing that bear their logo.
If you check Instagram, you can view MSC's self-reported summary of the Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers meeting in Seattle, which I had the privilege of recently attending. I saw MSC's post and was genuinely surprised.
https://lnkd.in/g2bhmSs3
It's not every day that a U.S. Senator addresses a meeting live—especially a Senator like Dan Sullivan, who sits on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee; the Armed Services Committee; the Environment and Public Works Committee; and the Veterans' Affairs Committee. He also serves as the Chairman of the International Republican Institute.
Had I been in an audience and been mortifyingly called out by name for the unacceptable performance of my profit-thieving non-profit organization—as mentioned at 45:35, "Why should people worldwide be eating seafood from sources relying on slave labor?...Why is this group certifying abusive practices when they haven’t even inspected Russian vessels?"—I would feel compelled to disclose that to my business partners while immediately working to improve. In fact, I would assume a legal obligation to accurately represent what transpired. It would not be my priority to use Instagram to condition the public and my partners into believing nothing is wrong. Bipartisan efforts, global leaders using their resources and who all agree? Who do these people think they are? It’s outrageous. If they don’t respect this country and its democratic processes, why are they allowed to operate here?
Is reform even possible? I have noticed an absolute clamoring among an institutionalized community of non-value-added NGOs that siphons funds from industry while not doing the basics of their jobs. Why should we stand up a straw man organization?
I hope my posts illustrate how an unaccountable entity, mired in self-interest and tainted by conflicts, can destabilize an entire industry through reckless policies. Business and environmental leaders have reached out privately to express their concerns about unethical, likely unlawful conduct. Understandably, they may not want to or may not feel empowered to put their businesses at risk by addressing this threat and the culture of fear the MSC deals in. It is thus incumbent on regulators—Federal Trade Commission, U.S. Department of Justice—and the marketplace to lead the charge.
If your risk analysis team isn’t watching this closely, consider the Conagra class-action lawsuit as a cautionary example.
#accountability #banthemsc
Whether you joined us in person or missed the excitement, the full recording of our Annual Meeting is now available to watch online! ?? Revisit key insights, inspiring presentations, and the energy of our most-attended meeting yet—or catch up on everything you missed.
Ready to dive back in? Click the link below to watch the recording and stay updated on the latest in Wild Alaska Pollock. ??
https://lnkd.in/g4cX37aw
