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Fisheries

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Fish is an important source of food and livelihood for many people around the world. The global population’s projected growth of up to some 9.7 billion people in 2050 means an increasing demand for food. It’s important to make sure fishing is done sustainably so that it can still be done in the future.

Our portfolio in fishery is relatively small, but we require our customers in the food chain to obey the law and regulations, such as those regarding overfishing and documenting the catch. We don’t finance any fishing practices where dynamite or poison is used related to catching marine, fresh-water species and shellfish in the wild. Nor do we finance shark finning or commercial whaling.

We feel ruling out financing certain activities is only part of a sustainable approach. Setting standards that go beyond the law and actively engaging with our clients can create further change. For example, we expect our clients to respect (marine) protected areas and we won’t support activities that may negatively affect protected areas in any way.

Furthermore, we support our clients in adhering to internationally recognised guidelines. As such, we encourage the UN Food & Agriculture Organization’s international guidelines on bycatch or the International Principles for Responsible Shrimp farming (PDF 0.1 MB), if and when applicable.

Similarly, we encourage our clients to obtain certification applicable to their activities. For fishers, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification for the fisheries they are involved in is encouraged if applicable. Fish traders and others in the production chain for (shell) fish are encouraged to obtain the MSC Chain of Custody standard.


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Contact

Mail to: Sustainability@ing.com

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