Sustainability
Cultivate. Nourish. Provide.
At Cooke, our purpose is to cultivate the ocean with care, nourish the world, provide for our families, and build stronger communities. Sustainable development has been a driving force for our organization. We are investing in science based marine practices and innovation to help establish ourselves as a true leader in sustainable aquaculture and marine harvest around the world.
Investing in our sustainable future.
Since our inception, we have been learning, growing, and adapting to be better; better for the environment, better for our fish, better for our customers, and better for our communities. Our commitments today help to ensure a healthy food supply and planet for generations to come. We have invested heavily in Atlantic salmon breeding programs, fish feed production, eco-friendly fish health treatment technologies, and innovative marine farming equipment. All of which has allowed us to bring a healthy and sustainable protein source to the tables of countless individuals.
View our Cooke Aquaculture sustainability policy, here.
Holding ourselves to the highest standards.
As responsible seafood producers, we understand that feeding future generations depends on what we do today. We are dedicated to our role as environmental stewards, and through our many certifications and partnerships with research institutions, we continue to set the highest standards for responsible harvesting and sustainable processes across all lines of business.
We hold third party certifications and recommendations across all our operations. These certifications are achieved by implementing the relevant standards before being audited and assessed against the criteria in the standard.
Meet Michael Szemerda, our Global Chief Sustainability Officer.
Appointed in 2022, Michael and his team have been exploring innovative ways to advance our current operations to further protect and enhance the marine environments we work in.
Community Commitment
Rooted in our rural coastal communities.
Our livelihood depends on the areas we work and live in; our small coastal communities drive our growth and we have been there since our humble beginnings. We are strongly committed to their overall success and leaving all areas better than we found them.
At Cooke, we work with a variety of community, government, and conservation groups around the world:
Fundy Salmon Recovery
Fundy Salmon Recovery is a partnership that operates the World’s First Wild Salmon Marine Conservation Farm on Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick. The project is a collaboration of community, academic and industry stakeholders working to protect young salmon and improve their chances to survive and reproduce when released back to the wild as adults.
Project Mangle
Project Mangle is a mangrove restoration project is an initiative of Seajoy Group in Central America. This group demonstrates a commitment to environmental conservation and the promotion of biodiversity in tropical and subtropical regions through reforestation of the mangrove ecosystem.
The Artificial Reef
The Artificial Reef initiative was a collative effort between Omega Protein, state agencies and non-profit organizations, along with Omega Protein’s fishing partner, Ocean Harvesters. The groups worked together to sink a retired vessel to become a marine habitat in the Gulf of Mexico. This effort was successful in promoting biodiversity, and creating recreational fishing and diving opportunities for the area.
Sea Turtle Protection Program
Sea Turtle Protection Program aims to preserve the various species of the sea that choose our coasts in Nicaragua to nest. To date, the program has released roughly 105,000 hatchlings on the pacific coastline.
Further Strengthening Our Communities
Cooke employees support and participate in several family and community events and initiatives in all the regions where we live and work. To learn more about our community involvement, check out our corporate newsletter.
