NFI Crab Council Gains New Member in Ocean Source Group

The NFI Crab Council welcomes Ocean Source Group as its latest member.  Based in the British Virgin Islands with operations in Thailand, Ocean Source Group procures, packs and supplies premium Blue Swimming Crab meat, among other seafood items, for customers and under its own label.

As the Crab Council’s second international member, Ocean Source Group incorporates sustainability into their sourcing guidelines as a necessary indicator of product quality.

“Ocean Source Group considers our resources as the lifeblood of our business,” said Ocean Source’s Director of Business Development Craig Perry. “The Crab Council has maintained this position since inception and we are glad to join a likeminded group that values responsible management as part of a sound business model.”

The NFI Crab Council funds fishery improvement efforts in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. Council members fund in-country sustainability work by assessing a fee on the poundage of crabs they import.

Ocean Source’s addition to the council comes after the council published an open letter to domestic crab buyers. The letter encouraged key purchasers in the restaurant and retail sector to ask their suppliers how they contribute to Blue Swimming Crab sustainability and if they belonged to the NFI Crab Council.

NFI Crab Council Chairman Brendan Sweeny sees the council’s growing membership as a promising trend for the council’s fishery improvement work.

“The Crab Council’s business-led approach to sustainability pivots on industry participation,” said Sweeny. “With Ocean Source Group pledging a commitment to strengthened crab stocks, the council increases its scope and impact. We need more companies from the crab community, like Ocean Source, to step forward and lend a hand.”

The NFI Crab Council was founded in 2009 and funds Blue Swimming Crab sustainability projects through contributions from participating companies and has received grants from the World Bank and the Walton Family Foundation.