Holland America Line becomes the first and only cruise line to achieve Responsible Fisheries Management certification (RFM) by serving only fresh, certified sustainable, and traceable wild Alaska seafood.
As of September 6, 2022, all six of the line’s ships that sail to Alaska are now certified by RFM to offer legally harvested and obtained from responsibly managed fisheries.
Holland America Line’s Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) certification
Holland America Line now holds the place as the first and only cruise line to become Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) certified. This RFM certification ensures guests sustainable, high quality seafood that can be traced back to its original origin.
All six of the line’s ships that sail Alaskan territory will offer RFM-certified seafood throughout its dining options onboard. The RFM certification signifies the line’s commitment to a Chain of Custody program, assuring guests their seafood is legally harvested by responsibly managed certified sustainable fisheries.
The President of Holland America Line, Gus Antorcha stated, “Holland America Line has shared Alaska adventures with our guests for 75 years, and supporting sustainable fishing and local business is an important commitment for us.”
“We’ve pledged to buy and serve only local, sustainable, fresh seafood on Alaska voyages, and RFM certification is a crucial step in the commitment to sustainability that we share with our guests and fishing families of Alaska,” he added.
Aligned with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, RFM is a third-party certification program for wild-capture fisheries. Being certified by RFM provides consumers with an eco-label that displays the seafood’s origin.
The line’s RFM-certified seafood onboard derives from Alaskan fisheries showing its consumers where their food comes from, every step of the way. It comes after the line’s newly formed partnership with Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), both committed to serving sustainably sourced Alaska seafood.
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Tomi Marsh, Alaska Seafood Harvester and CSC RFM Board Member said, “We applaud Holland America Line for its long-standing commitment to sustainable seafood and its hard work to become the first cruise line to offer RFM certified Alaska seafood.”
“Alaska fisheries are highly valued as an integral part of the culture of coastal communities. Thus, fisheries are carefully managed, including input by locals, with a priority for sustainability in a constantly changing ocean in order to ensure that these fisheries are available for the next generation. Holland America Line’s support for RFM not only highlights its dedication to sustainability, but also its dedication to promoting local values,” Marsh added.
RFM is the first sustainability eco-certification program to be recognized by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) and is the most credible sustainable seafood certification program without charging logo licensing fees.
The Line’s Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute Partnership
Holland America and Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) recently formed the first formal relationship of its kind, making Holland America the first major cruise line to form an alliance utilizing sustainably sourced Alaska seafood in accordance with the Alaska Seafood Marketing mission.
In partnership with ASMI, promoting the benefits of wild and sustainable Alaska seafood and offering seafood industry education, the line currently offers several Alaska-derived seafood dishes aboard Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Noordam, Westerdam, and Zuiderdam.
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The line’s sustainable impact includes more than 2,000 pounds of Alaska salmon consumed on each cruise, 1,000 pounds of Alaska cod served on each sailing, 800 pounds of Alaska halibut provisioned for each cruise, 500 pounds of Alaska rockfish, 400 pounds of Alaska flounder and 200 pounds of Alaska black cod consumed during a cruise, and 400 pounds of Alaska pollock purchased for each cruise.
Recently, Culinary Council Member Chef Ethan Stowell released three new dishes featuring wild-caught Alaskan seafood aboard Holland America Line, made in alliance with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI).
The seafood industry is Alaska’s largest basic private sector employer, catching over 60 percent of all wild seafood and 90-95 percent of wild salmon harvested in the U.S.
Alaska is a leader in setting the global standard for precautionary resource management, protecting fisheries and their habitats for an ever-replenishing supply of wild seafood for markets worldwide.
