Ecotrust Canada – ThisFish

Background:

Ecotrust Canada is an enterprising nonprofit whose purpose is to build the conservation economy. Headquartered in Vancouver, it works at the intersection of conservation and community economic development, promoting innovation and providing services for communities, First Nations, and enterprises to green and grow their local economies.

Since it was launched in 1981, Ecotrust has created and continues to collaborate with numerous organizations in the areas of forestry, fisheries and energy. Thisfish is its most recent innovation, providing consumers, restaurants and retailers with access to information about where, how, and by whom the fish was caught as well as sustainability certifications. Thisfish has seen rapid growth, expanding from six to 20 fish species, from Pacific and Atlantic fisheries as well as a pilot Innu scallop fishery. In 2011, the Sobeys (IGA) retail chain began sourcing traceable seafood with Thisfish, contributing to a large increase in the volume of traceable product.

Grant description:

The Foundation’s grant will enable Thisfish to expand its operations to meet growing demand across Canada for traceable seafood. In addition, through the Social Innovation Fund, the Foundation will support ThisFish’s transition from being an innovative program within Ecotrust to an autonomous organization.

Visit www.thisfish.info for more information