Austral goes carbon neutral

West Leederville-based commercial fishing company Austral Fisheries has become the first seafood business in the world to be certified as carbon neutral.

Coinciding with Sustainable Seafood Day Australia 2016, Austral announced today that achieving carbon-neutral status was the result of audits of its operations to determine its carbon footprint, and then purchasing carbon offsets to support planting trees to cover all emissions from January 1.

“Around 190,000 native trees were required to offset Austral’s estimated 27,422 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions for 2016,” the company said in a statement.

“The project chosen to achieve this is based in WA’s Wheatbelt.”

Department of Agriculture and Food Minister Ken Baston said Austral would restore bushland and focus on efforts to make its fuel use more efficient.

“Austral has accounted for all carbon emissions it can identify from the start of its activities, through to the point where it sells the fish,” he said.

“It has taken this decision in an effort to ensure a healthy, sustainable environment for the seafood that it relies on for its livelihood.”

Austral chief executive David Carter said the company operated in many fisheries independently certified as sustainable and well managed, by groups such as the Marine Stewardship Council.

“We can now add to that our carbon neutral status,” he said.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA chief executive Deidre Willmott commended Austral for its commitment to offsetting and reducing its carbon emissions and safeguarding the health of the world’s oceans.

“CCI congratulates Austral on this momentous occasion and applauds their ongoing efforts in setting new standards for the seafood industry,” Ms Willmott said.