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Barlow family response to HDC findings

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Barlow family response to HDC findings

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Waikato District Health Board

Our family, including our little boy Adam, experienced and suffered through a frightening and torturous labour on October 25, 2009 that left Linda on life support and resulted in the preventable and devastating death of our much loved baby boy.

Since that harrowing experience we have continued to seek answers for Adam’s untimely death, and Linda’s injuries, in the hope of preventing similar outcomes for future parents and their babies.

We would like to thank Health & Disability Commissioner Anthony Hill for his investigation and findings into Adam’s death, following on from a report by Coroner Gordon Matenga, who found Adam and Linda’s midwifery care was severely lacking. Mr Hill’s investigation has been thorough and professional and provides encouraging and insightful comments.

We believe those findings are fair and the outcomes are proportionate to the areas of the maternity system that let us down the most. We suffered a shocking lack of basic midwifery care with a lack of humanity on October 25, 2009 by a self-employed new graduate LMC Midwife in the community.

A ruptured Uterus is a rare event in a developed country but it was a fully predictable outcome given the substandard level of   midwifery   care   that   we   endured.   Despite the devastating outcomes in our situation it is rare for the mother to survive – this was only made possible by the highly skilled medical teams that worked together on Linda to save her life.

It is our express wish that our four year fight for answers does not end in vain. We now challenge health minister Tony Ryall and all health professionals – particularly the midwifery sector – to accept these findings, to learn from them, and put into place a far safer environment for all future mothers, fathers, babies and midwives in New Zealand.

Linda and Robert Barlow

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Waikato DHB’s vision is to improve the health, independence and quality of life for the communities it serves by addressing the needs of the population and reducing health disparities.

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Maternity care now a health priority

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Maternity care now a health priority

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Waikato District Health Board

Joint statement from Waikato DHB, the New Zealand College of Midwives (NZ COM) and the New Zealand Committee of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG)

Three of the organisations whose members were involved in the care of Linda Barlow on Sunday 25 October 2009 say the circumstances surrounding the case are tragic and resulted from a failure in the system to provide safe maternity care for Mrs Barlow and her baby.

Waikato DHB, the New Zealand College of Midwives (NZCOM) and the New Zealand Committee of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) say maternity care in New Zealand is generally of a high standard.

Dr Ian Page (RANZCOG), Karen Guilliland (NZCOM) and Corli Roodt (Waikato DHB) said the unfortunate events such as those experienced by Mrs Barlow and her family were rare.

The three made the comments today following the release of the Health and Disability Commissioner’s report into the care provided to Mrs Barlow during the labour and delivery of her son Adam.

“A review of the content and application of policies and procedures for all women receiving primary or secondary maternity care has helped to clarify standards and expectations for all health professionals working in maternity care,” said Ms Guilliland.

“A review of the national referral guidelines resulted in greater clarity in how transfers from primary to secondary care should be made,” she said.

“There have been improvements in the interpretation of  cardiotocography (CTG) by health professionals, as evidenced by the presence of both colleges at a recent meeting on this topic in Melbourne and continuing joint educational activities throughout New Zealand,” said Dr Page.

Mrs Roodt, the Waikato DHB clinical midwife director, said a review of the training and education available to professionals working in maternity care had led to better understanding of the roles and responsibilities in maternity care.

“I’ve seen there are closer relationships between health professionals as a result.”

The three organisations also believe that continuing with multi-disciplinary forums will ensure better communication regarding the care of women and so make it safer.

Consumers of maternity care and health professionals working in this area are receiving the full support of Waikato DHB, NZCOM and RANZCOG.

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Contact:

Mary Anne Gill
Communications Director
Waikato District Health Board
Ph: 07 834 3684
Mobile: 021 705 213

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Waikato DHB’s vision is to improve the health, independence and quality of life for the communities it serves by addressing the needs of the population and reducing health disparities.

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Waikato DHB accepts HDC findings

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Waikato DHB accepts HDC findings

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Waikato District Health Board

Waikato District Health Board (DHB) has today accepted the findings of the Health and Disability Commissioner, which found the DHB was in breach of the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers Rights when it cared for Linda Barlow[i] on Sunday 25 October 2009.

Chief operating officer Jan Adams said she had already met with Mrs Barlow and her husband Robert on Thursday 23 January this year to apologise for Waikato DHB’s breach of the Code and for the inadequacies in the care provided by the DHB.

At that meeting she provided the Barlows with a written apology.

“We accept the findings of the Health and Disability Commissioner,” said Mrs Adams.

“In my meeting with Mr and Mrs Barlow, we all took the opportunity to reflect on what happened, what we could learn from it and how we can take those learnings so we can provide quality care for women and their families.”

The Health and Disability Commissioner found there were other breaches of the Code before Mrs Barlow’s arrival at Waikato Hospital.

“While I can’t comment on those I will say Waikato DHB recognises the importance of working in close partnership with all health professionals locally and regionally with the aim of providing the very best care to our patients,” said Mrs Adams.

Waikato DHB has already made a number of changes because of the issues identified in Mrs Barlow’s treatment including the standardised use of the Situation Background Assessment Recommendation Response (SBARR) communication tool and use of transfer of care processes.

As a result of HDC’s recommendations, Waikato DHB will also:

  • carry out an audit of compliance with its new Transfer of Care policy, Admission Discharge and Transfer policy, Maternity Transfer of Care procedure, cardiotocography (CTG) credentialing process and Fetal Heart Monitoring Passport and undertake to provide the Health and Disability Commissioner with the outcome of those audits by 5 May 2014.
  • focus on CTG interpretation education as per the fetal heart monitoring passport, which includes both face to face and online CTG education.

[i] The Health and Disability Commissioner released an anonymised report. Robert and Linda Barlow, named as Mrs A and Mr B have given permission for Waikato DHB to name them in any media releases made by Waikato DHB, the New Zealand College of Midwives and the New Zealand Committee of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians.

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Contact:

Mary Anne Gill
Communications Director
Waikato District Health Board
Ph: 07 834 3684
Mobile: 021 705 213

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Waikato DHB’s vision is to improve the health, independence and quality of life for the communities it serves by addressing the needs of the population and reducing health disparities.

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Toxic shellfish warning revised

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Toxic shellfish warning revised

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Waikato District Health Board

Regular shellfish monitoring along the coast has seen Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) levels fall along the eastern Coromandel Peninsula.

“There is now no PSP concern from Waihi Beach northwards.  However, the current warning remains in place from Waihi Beach to Whakatane Heads,” says Medical Officer of Health, Dr Jim Miller.

The Medical Officer of Health continues to advise against gathering or eating shellfish from Waihi Beach, along the Bay of Plenty coast to Whakatane Heads in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.  The warning includes Tauranga Harbour, Maketu and Waihi estuaries, Matakana and Motiti Islands, and all other islands along this coastline.

The health warning applies to all bi-valve shellfish including mussels, pipi, tuatua, cockles, oysters, scallops as well as cat’s eyes, snails and kina (sea urchin).    PSP is caused by natural toxins that are produced by algal blooms and accumulate in shellfish that feed on the algae. Shellfish containing toxic levels of paralytic shellfish poison don’t look or taste any different from shellfish that are safe to eat. Cooking or freezing the shellfish does not remove the toxin.  Paua, crayfish and crabs can still be taken but as always, the gut should be removed before cooking or eating.

Eating shellfish affected by paralytic shellfish toxin can cause numbness and tingling around the mouth, face, hands and feet; difficulty swallowing or breathing; dizziness; double vision; and in severe cases, paralysis and respiratory failure.  These symptoms can start as soon as 1-2 hours after eating toxic shellfish and usually within 12 hours.  Anyone suffering illness after eating shellfish should seek urgent medical attention.

“Paralytic shellfish poisoning can be a very serious illness.  Please help keep yourself and your family safe and don’t collect or eat shellfish from the affected areas,” says Dr Miller.

Monitoring of toxin levels will continue along the coast and any changes in advice will be communicated accordingly.  The public can obtain up-to-date information on the toxic shellfish health warning through these channels:

ENDS

For more information please contact:

Debbie Phillips, Communications Officer on (07) 577 3793 or 021 791 814.

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Waikato DHB’s vision is to improve the health, independence and quality of life for the communities it serves by addressing the needs of the population and reducing health disparities.

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Voluntary Bonding Scheme Registration open

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Voluntary Bonding Scheme Registration open

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Waikato District Health Board

Registrations of interest for the 2014 Voluntary Bonding Scheme have formally opened today announced Health Minister Tony Ryall.

“The Voluntary Bonding Scheme gives communities and specialties that face difficulties recruiting and retaining health professionals the chance to gain some of our best and brightest graduates. It also allows these new graduates to apply their training in new environments,” says Mr Ryall.

This year additional hard-to-staff communities and specialties have been introduced for doctors, nurses and midwives.

“For doctors, the 2014 intake includes a revised list of hard-to-staff communities for GP trainees, and new specialty areas like emergency medicine and obstetrics and gynaecology,” says Mr Ryall.

“For nurses, the West Coast and South Canterbury are included as hard-to-staff communities, with the addition of primary healthcare as a hard-to-staff specialty.

“For midwives, additional hard-to-staff communities include Capital and Coast DHB, Tairawhiti DHB and specific communities within the Waikato and Canterbury regions,” says Mr Ryall.

The scheme works by encouraging doctors, nurses and midwives to start their careers in hard-to-staff communities and specialties by offering payments to their student loans after a three to five year bonded period.

Radiation Therapists and Medical Physicists simply have to work in New Zealand for three to five years upon completion of their qualifications. Those without a student loan are also eligible for the scheme.

“There are currently 2688 participants on the scheme, and these health professionals are making a significant contribution to their areas,” says Mr Ryall.

“The government recognises the importance of improving access to health services in vulnerable communities and isolated areas. The success of the scheme so far has proven that health professionals are going where they are needed most,” says Mr Ryall.

Registrations of interest for this year’s intake are open for new GP trainees, graduate doctors, nurses, midwives, radiation therapists and medicalphysicists until 5pm on Friday 14 March.

More information and a full list of registration forms are available at:http://www.healthworkforce.govt.nz/our-work/voluntary-bonding-scheme

Media contact: Bill de la Mare 021 924 331

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Waikato DHB’s vision is to improve the health, independence and quality of life for the communities it serves by addressing the needs of the population and reducing health disparities.

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Next round of maternity meetings is here

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Next round of maternity meetings is here

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Waikato District Health Board

 The final round of consultation meetings around maternity services in Te Awamutu and Morrinsville, which started in December, gets underway in Te Aroha tomorrow night with the last two meetings in Te Awamutu and Morrinsville next week.

“What we are hearing from the communities so far is that they are worried about the cost and time of travelling to Hamilton for birthing, and that they would rather their local birthing facilities be given a facelift than the services being centralised,” said Waikato DHB Planning and Funding general manager Brett Paradine.

“To date, more than 60 surveys have been filled out and we expect that number to increase after the next round of meetings is held.”

Mr Paradine said Waikato DHB also hopes to hear how the Te Awamutu and Morrinsville communities would best be served with antenatal services in their local communities, should the current services be consolidated in Hamilton.

Birthing facilities in Hamilton comprise two primary birthing units (River Ridge East and Waterford) for women with uncomplicated pregnancies, labour and antenatal needs, as well as a secondary birthing service at Waikato Hospital for more complex cases (i.e. requiring specialised medication, inductions, caesarean sections, twin births, early onset of labour, etc.).

“These ideas could include things like local access to pregnancy and parenting education or lactation support services which at present, are lacking in some areas.

“The board is keen to hear other suggestions from the community as well, such as improvements to existing community-based services or options like grouping some providers together into a family/resource centre – among other ideas.”

In December, Waikato District Health Board approved a 10-week public consultation period about the future of primary birthing facilities Matariki (Te Awamutu) and Rhoda Read (Morrinsville), after a New Zealand Institute of Community Health Care study recommended that the services be consolidated in Hamilton.

Waikato DHB requested the study after a steady increase in the number of women choosing to have their babies in Hamilton rather than in their own community.

The last two rounds of public meetings held in December and January in Te Awamutu, Morrinsville and Te Aroha were well attended by interested parties.

To read the feasibility study, fill in a survey or to read more information about the review, visit www.waikatodhb.health.nz/birthing

Upcoming meeting dates

Te Aroha

  • Date: Tuesday 4 February
  • Time: 7.15-8.45pm
  • Venue: The Auditorium
    Future Te Aroha Building
    13 Boundary St

 Te Awamutu

  • Date: Monday 10 February
  • Time: 6.30-8pm
  • Venue: Baptist Church Hall, 106 Teasdale St

 Morrinsville

  • Date: Tuesday 11 February
  • Time: 7.15-8.45pm
  • Venue: Events Centre, Ron Ladd Pl

ENDS

Background information

Why was a feasibility study about these two primary birthing facilities carried out in the first place?

In the year from 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013, 82 per cent of birthing women from Morrinsville/Te Aroha, and 86 per cent of birthing women in Te Awamutu, preferred to birth in Hamilton, rather than in their local birthing units.

Just 70 women birthed at Rhoda Read for the same period – on average one every 5.37 days – and 68 at Matariki – one every 5.21 days. Both Rhoda Read and Matariki are staffed 365 days a year, 24/7.

“While there seem to be plenty of ‘anecdotal’ reasons for this, one of the purposes of the feasibility study was to find out from the women themselves, and their midwives, why this is so,” said Mr Paradine.

The review team, headed by Dr Chris Hendry, a midwife with more than 30 years’ experience, undertook a detailed review of factors impacting on the reduced use of these facilities by local women, and recommended that birthing and labour services for Morrinsville/Te Aroha and Te Awamutu women, be consolidated in Hamilton.

Dr Hendry is a champion for rural services and primary birthing, having managed a Canterbury primary birthing unit in the past.

When she and the review team carried out the study, they met with staff and the midwives who work in or with Matariki and Rhoda Read.

“Women in the localities who had their babies in Hamilton also filled in questionnaires to determine the reasons why women chose not to birth in their local unit,” said Mr Paradine.

“Responses from those women indicated that they themselves had chosen to birth in Hamilton, but felt that there needed to be a maternity unit in the town for those who wanted to birth locally,” said Dr Hendry.

“But the facts are that only 14-19 per cent of eligible women in the 2012-2013 year did that. Which says to me that these towns do not have the local maternity services that the majority of birthing women want or need, and that’s what we need to ask them – that’s where the improvements will come from.

“The facilities are not servicing the towns well and if only such a small percentage are using these considerable resources, that’s not a fair distribution of maternity resources for the rest of the community.”

ENDS

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Waikato DHB’s vision is to improve the health, independence and quality of life for the communities it serves by addressing the needs of the population and reducing health disparities.

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Invasive Carp Consortium Harnesses Industry Power to Combat Fish Species Devastating US Waterways

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Today, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Freshwater Select, in collaboration with industry partners, launched the Invasive Carp Consortium (ICC) which will propel market forces to halt the damage caused by invasive carp to U.S. lakes and rivers. By increasing demand for carp products as a source of protein for both humans and animals, the ICC unifies and amplifies the private sector’s commitment to reduce the population of this harmful species and counteract its environmental damage while contributing to a circular economy.

Invasive carp, originally introduced into the U.S. decades ago as a novel tool for pond cleaning, have infested and overwhelmed river systems in the American Midwest. The fish weigh around 30 pounds and jump high out of water, colliding with anything in their path. Their proliferation has devastated sport fishing, eliminated recreational water sports, killed off native species, and wreaked havoc on aquatic ecosystems.

“Over the years there have been several invasive carp eradication programs, but these fish continue to spread like a plague throughout our waterways,” said Ellen Dierenfeld, who leads sustainable feed innovation at WWF. “We’re coming at this problem in a totally new way that hits two targets at once. By developing market demand for enhanced carp products for human and animal feed, we create viable options for harvesting these fish on a large scale, adding to the blue economy as well as food system circularity. And we also alleviate some of the adverse environmental effects of traditional livestock, aquaculture, and animal feed production.”

“Developing markets for invasive carp is the ultimate long-term solution to what was once considered an unsolvable problem,” said Matthew Sulkowski, CEO of Freshwater Select. “Everyone benefits here. With this level of industry collaboration and support, fishers will be able to harvest carp more safely and responsibly, processors will have access to a longer-term supply of high-quality carp, and companies can support a critical environmental initiative by purchasing it.”

The ICC is an industry trade association whose members represent the broader private sector actors in the carp supply chain. Key tenants of the organization include providing education and outreach to support market growth while adhering to sustainable business practices, and creating a more robust, responsible, and transparent food supply chain market through data and transparency into the freshwater fish industry.

For more information, visit https://invasivecarpconsortium.com/

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Media Contacts:

Lorin Hancock, World Wildlife Fund, Lorin.Hancock@wwfus.org

Matthew Sulkowski, Matt@FreshwaterSelect.com

About World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working in nearly 100 countries for over half a century to help people and nature thrive. With the support of more than 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat the climate crisis. Visit http://www.worldwildlife.org to learn more and keep up with the latest conservation news by following @WWFNews on Twitter and signing up for our newsletter and news alerts here.

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WWF Statement on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers IPOP Project Permit

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This week, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reversed an earlier decision and approved a permit to dredge and dispose of mining material in U.S. waters near Sitnasuak, or Nome, Alaska. In response, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued the following statement from Steve MacLean, WWF managing director of U.S. Arctic:

“The estuaries around Nome, Alaska are considered essential fish habitat for king crab and salmon that Alaska Native communities depend on. Reversing the 2022 permit denial and opening the Bonanza Channel to extractive gold mining not only endangers the local ecosystems but also threatens the way of life and cultural heritage of Alaska Native peoples in the Bering Strait Region.

Communities and wildlife are inextricably connected in the U.S. Arctic. Many Alaska Native peoples maintain traditional subsistence practices to feed their families and these communities have stewarded their ocean resources for generations. A rapidly warming Arctic is already bringing novel and dire threats for Alaska’s nature and people. Forgoing tribal consortium comments, ignoring traditional knowledge and values, and moving forward with mining only adds additional stress to this region.”

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Respuesta de WWF al llamado corporativo para que se tomen medidas presidenciales ante la contaminación por plásticos

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Esta semana, la Coalición Empresarial para un Tratado Global de Plásticos emitió una carta al presidente de Estados Unidos, Joe Biden, expresando su apoyo a soluciones políticas integrales para abordar la crisis de contaminación por plásticos. Las empresas instaron a un fuerte liderazgo federal que promulgue políticas como la Responsabilidad Amplia del Productor (RAP), para incentivar a las empresas a reducir su huella ecológica causada por los plásticos, diseñar materiales fáciles de reciclar y mantener el plástico fuera de la naturaleza. Esta carta llega después de que WWF y varias otras organizaciones líderes pidieran un enfoque gubernamental integral a nivel federal para promover soluciones ambiciosas ante la contaminación critica ocasionada por plásticos.

En respuesta, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) emitió las siguientes declaraciones:

— Alejandro Pérez, vicepresidente senior de políticas y asuntos gubernamentales, dijo:

“La Administración Biden tiene una clara oportunidad de impulsar una acción histórica para resolver la crisis ante la contaminación por plásticos. Este nivel de apoyo intersectorial y unificado de las empresas lideres, fundaciones y organizaciones sin fines de lucro de Estados Unidos para lograr soluciones ambiciosas indican que hay un gran apoyo a medidas significativas del gobierno federal para reducir los desechos plásticos”.

“Este es el momento para que la Administración acelere su ya significativo liderazgo en este tema. Avanzar con un plan federal integral y coordinado ayudará a abordar la contaminación por plásticos en los Estados Unidos y es el complemento perfecto para los esfuerzos que la Administración esta impulsando a nivel internacional”.

— Erin Simon, vicepresidenta de residuos de plásticos y negocios, añadió:

“El conjunto de voces que abogan por una acción política significativa e integral para afrontar nuestra crisis de contaminación por plásticos es demasiado fuerte para ignorarlo. Este es un tema por el que abogan apasionadamente los votantes, las organizaciones sin fines de lucro y las fundaciones; hoy el apoyo corporativo está elevando aún más este llamado”.

“Las empresas líderes han avanzado tomando algunas medidas para eliminar sus huellas de contaminación por plásticos. Para tener un impacto que esté a la misma altura de esta crisis debemos abordar políticas y sistemas de reciclaje inadecuados. Una política nacional de responsabilidad ampliada del productor, que requeriría que las empresas asuman la responsabilidad de sus productos de plástico desde la cuna hasta la tumba, proporcionaría la consistencia y los incentivos necesarios para impulsar a nuestro país hacia una nueva era en la lucha contra la contaminación por plásticos”.

“A medida que nos acercamos a la próxima ronda de discusiones internacionales hacia un tratado global sobre plásticos, esperamos que nuestros líderes escuchen este llamado a la acción y respondan. Demostremos al mundo que somos congruentes con lo que decimos y lideremos el camino hacia una economía circular”.

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Global Salmon Initiative and World Wildlife Fund Launch ESG Risk Assessment Tool for Feed Ingredients

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London, United Kingdom – March 6, 10am BST: Today, Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) in partnership with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) launched a first of its kind environmental, social, governance (ESG) risk assessment tool for feed ingredients. The tool will improve visibility into supply chains, allowing stakeholders to better identify and address possible ESG risks. GSI and WWF designed the tool to support the salmon farming sector, but the wider animal protein production sectors, including livestock, may also benefit from its use.

The tool provides a consistent and aligned framework for farming companies to engage with their respective feed suppliers in order to get a holistic overview of possible risks in the feed supply chain. These risks could include biodiversity loss, climate change, resource use, environmental footprint, health and welfare, nutrition, human rights, and governance, among others. It can also help companies assess the scalability of future novel ingredients. With this knowledge, companies can make more informed sourcing decisions aligned with their strategic priorities and values. The tool, developed over a three-year period in consultation with the GSI members, WWF, and industry feed companies, is the first time a common methodology is available to support greater alignment in feed data collection.

“Feed ingredient sourcing remains one of the main sustainability challenges in salmon farming, and food production more broadly,” said Daniel Miller, aquaculture lead specialist at WWF. “The surprising amount of unknown information in feed–ingredient supply chains leaves the sector open to unintentional risks and vulnerabilities—even for companies prioritizing sustainable, ethical production. With this tool, GSI members are taking a proactive approach to address these risks and identify opportunities to improve the supply chain. Looking at supply chains broadly and holistically doesn’t just mitigate risk; it also facilitates more informed and strategic decisions.”

“We know we need to improve the level of transparency and traceability in our supply chains. Not only for our own knowledge, but also to provide feedback and assurances to our stakeholders whether customers, regulators, communities or long-term investors that we are sourcing from responsible and sustainable sources. By developing a common tool so producers can all ask the same questions of the supply chain which will streamline requests and improve the level of traceability, ultimately supporting accelerated improvements in the sustainability of the ingredients being used for feed,” said Tor Eirik Homme, Director of Feed and Nutrition, Grieg Seafood.

“This tool isn’t designed only for farmed salmon, or even just aquaculture, we see it having critical impact across the animal protein production sectors, and even pet feed, that all share many of the same supply chains and risks. While GSI has taken the first step to develop and trial the tool, we will now be working with other WWF partners to expand its use,” added Miller.

Sourcing feed ingredients from diverse supply chains makes it challenging to identify and mitigate all the current and potential ESG risks of our global operations. We’ve made significant progress over the past few years in addressing many of these risks, but we have more work to do and our pace needs to accelerate. We support the implementation of the ESG tool because it will help us better identify what we know and what we don’t know about the impacts of certain ingredients, and in addressing these concerns, we will increase the transparency in our sourcing and ultimately improve our performance,” added Jorge Diaz Salinas, Sustainability Manager, Skretting.

The Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) has also reviewed the tool and intends to incorporate it as one of its due diligence mechanisms to be part of the ASC Feed Standard certification process.

In addition to the tool, WWF in collaboration with GSI and Grieg Seafood, released a business case, Feed of the Future: Transparent and Traceable. The paper outlines the challenges inherent in feed production, the development of the tool, and Grieg Seafood’s experience applying it to their supply chain.

The tool is in its first iteration and will be updated as companies begin to use it and collect insights into their supply chains. Additionally, annual amendments will ensure the tool continues to support and deliver on its intended purpose.

All data collected as part of the tool is confidential and only shared between feed supplier and farming company. By using the tool and identifying possible risks, the aim is to utilize this knowledge to encourage innovation, spur continued developments in the sourcing of feed ingredients to minimize ESG risk, and ensure farmed salmon continues to offer a healthy and sustainable food choice.

For more information on the tool, on what it covers and strives to achieve, please view these two supporting documents:

ABOUT GSI

Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) is a leadership initiative established in 2013 by global farmed salmon producers focused on making significant progress on industry sustainability. Today, GSI comprises 22 companies that are fully committed to realizing a shared goal of providing a highly sustainable source of healthy food to feed a growing global population, whilst minimizing our environmental footprint, and continuing to improve our social contributions.

GSI member companies are Australis Seafoods S.A.; Bakkafrost; Blumar; Cermaq; Salmones Camanchaca SA; Empresas AquaChile; Grieg Seafood ASA; Huon Aquaculture, Multiexport Foods S.A.; Nova Sea AS; Salmones Austral; Salmones Aysen; Tassal; and Ventisqueros. GSI companies have a presence in Australia, Canada, Chile, Faroe Islands, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom.

GSI also has a number of supply chain Associate Members in both the feed and pharmaceutical industries, including Benchmark Holdings plc; BioMar; Cargill; Elanco; Merck, Sharpe and Dohme (MSD) Animal Health; PHARMAQ; Salmofood; and Skretting.

For further information on GSI, please visit or contact us at:

Media contact:

Sophie Ryan
GSI CEO
sryan@globalsalmoninitiative.org

About World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working in nearly 100 countries for over half a century to help people and nature thrive. With the support of more than 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat the climate crisis. Visit http://www.worldwildlife.org to learn more and keep up with the latest conservation news by following @WWFNews on Twitter and signing up for our newsletter and news alerts.

Media contact:

Lorin Hancock

World Wildlife Fund Media Relations

Lorin.Hancock@wwfus.org