Iberostar Demonstrates Commitment to Responsible and Sustainable Seafood

Our commitment to responsible tourism and the protection of the oceans is the backbone of Wave of Change. Healthy global fisheries are foundational to global ocean health. Thus, we continually look for ways to ensure that all of our seafood is responsibly sourced. We have taken strides to ensure that our clients can feel good about what they are eating, and acquiring Chain of Custody (CoC) certification for our seafood is one step towards doing so.

This year we became the first hotel chain with properties in the Americas that are both Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified for sustainable and responsible seafood practices. In addition, we became the first hotel chain with properties in Southern Europe to achieve the certification last year when four of our restaurants in Spain gained certification.

We’re also proud to bring the Wave of Change to partners in our supply chain. As part of our efforts, 18 of our suppliers of seafood also received their MSC and ASC certifications and imported some of the first sustainable product in the countries where we operate.

What does it mean to have MSC and ASC certified seafood? They are certifications that ensure sustainability of the fish stock, minimized environmental impact from the fishing operations, and effective management. The products are also traceable through the chain of custody to ensure the seafood is responsible from when it is caught or raised to when it is consumed.

Currently, our properties have seven MSC/ASC certified restaurants: five in Spain, one in the Dominican Republic and one in Mexico. We’re not stopping there, in 2020, we are planning to more than double that amount to at least 15.

As we move into the future, we will continue to work with both MSC and ASC to continually increase the amount of restaurants we serve certified seafood. Both Iberostar employees and suppliers are critical to helping us maintain our momentum on the path towards responsible seafood. In addition, we will work with local fisheries and aquaculture farms to help them move on a path towards certification.

We understand our responsibility as a tourism company with 80% of our properties oceanfront: we need to position ourselves within the seafood community to build towards a more sustainable and responsible seafood menu. Our journey is just beginning.

Iberostar restaurants serving MSC/ASC certified seafood: