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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
POLICY
READY FOR THE FUTURE TOGETHER
ATLANTIC SHRIMPERS LIMITED
3
PREFACE
Atlantic Shrimpers Limited (ASL) was established in Lagos, Nigeria in 1996 and has grown into a successful global business.
We are proud that we have such a successful and responsible organisation. We work hard, look for opportunities and maintain the highest standards. A package of shared values guides our business decisions. In short:
• We contribute to global food security by supplying healthy protein to a wide range of different markets: from the local Nigerian market to the markets of Europe, Asia and the United States;
• We adhere to all local and international regulations that govern our operations;
• We fish responsibly and all of our vessels are fitted with satellite VMS and AIS systems to enable tracking by local fisheries authorities;
• We prefer local management and employees;• We produce and sell the highest quality seafood;• We serve and support our local communities;• We produce with care to sustain healthy ecosystems.
This Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy document is a clear statement of our position. We take this opportunity to set out our environmental and social activities in a structured framework.
Board of DirectorsAtlantic Shrimpers Limited
2
ASL Shrimp Farm, Badagry, Nigeria
4
Over the past few years we have
worked to identify what social and
sustainability topics are specifically
relevant for our operations. We have
looked at our strengths and where we
can seize opportunities to add social
value to our local communities. And we
have looked at where we want to make
improvements in mitigating undesirable
impacts. Our CSR manager assisted
the board of directors of ASL in drafting
this CSR policy document.
5
ATLANTIC SHRIMPERS LIMITED IN NIGERIA
In 1996 the company was offered the opportunity to buy 15 trawlers from a local company. That was the start of a growing fishing operation in Nigeria under the name of Atlantic Shrimpers Limited. In 2001, a number of vessels were added to the shrimp trawling fleet and the Prim7Stars brand name was acquired. Today ASL employs approximately 1,600 people. The company is located in Lagos, the most populous city in Africa.
In 2016 ASL opened a new 160 hectare black tiger (Penaeus monodon) shrimp farm in Badagry just outside Lagos. This facility includes its own hatchery and processing plant, to be able to control the quality of the final product through its entire cycle. Total production capacity is 1,200 tonnes per annum. The farm, including the hatchery and processingplant, provides work to approximately 300-350 local people.
DISTRIBUTION ACTIVITIES BY PRIMSTAR B.V. IN THE NETHERLANDS
From its headquarters in Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht (near Rotterdam, one of the world’s biggest ports), PrimStar B.V. manages ASL’s worldwide shrimp distribution activities. The most important current markets for ASL products are Europe and the United States. In addition, ASL is expanding its distribution activities in rapidly evolving markets in Asia.
ASL started operating in 1996 as a fishing company in Lagos, Nigeria with 15 shrimp trawlers. Today the company owns 72 shrimp trawlers in Nigeria (representing approximately 50% of Nigeria’s offshore shrimp fleet) and a shrimp aquaculture operation in Badagry, Nigeria. ASL shrimp products are distributed worldwide under the Prim7Stars brand.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
INTRODUCTION TO ATLANTIC SHRIMPERS LIMITED (ASL)
7
HEALTHY FOOD
CARE FOR (OUR) PEOPLE
RESPONSIBLE PRODUCTION
SUSTAINABILITY IN OUR DAILY BUSINESS
6
PILLAR 1Population growth and diet change have increased the importance of seafood protein. We supply healthy, nutritious foodthat is both safe and hygienic. We believe in the prevention of contamination rather than relying on chemical treatments as a solution. (See page 9)
PILLAR 2We strive to take optimal care of the marine ecosystems upon which our company relies. In relation to our aquaculture activities we focus on responsible use of land and water supplies and we avoid damage to local (marine or terrestrial) biodiversity. (See page 13)
PILLAR 3For the production, processing, packaging and transport of our shrimps, we aim to be as efficient as possible, e.g. with the amounts of packaging material used and paying attention to responsible waste handling practices. By working on technical innovations, we aim to decrease our environmental impact in relation to climate change. (See page 19)
PILLAR 4We want to be recognised as a company that takes very good care of its employees and of the people in the communities where we operate. We are very proud of our very good reputation in Lagos, which has come with years of investments and hard work to build lasting relationships with our workforce, their families and communities. We are working hard to achieve the same in Bagadry, where we recently opened the doors of our new shrimp farm. (See page 23)
INTRODUCTION OF THE SUSTAINABILITY PILLARS
This policy document presents the activities we undertake at ASL to minimise our environmental impact and optimise economic and social value. The list of subjects included was established by conducting a materiality analysis following the approach as suggested by the Global Reporting Initiative. The subjects were subsequently organised in four sustainability pillars:
PILLAR 1: HEALTHY FOODPILLAR 2: RESPONSIBLE PRODUCTIONPILLAR 3: SUSTAINABILITY IN OUR DAILY BUSINESSPILLAR 4: CARE FOR (OUR) PEOPLE
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
8 9
CONTRIBUTING TO FOOD SECURITY
Globally, 16% of human animal protein consumption comes from seafood. Wild caught marine fish are generally high in protein and provide a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A and D, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium, iodine and Omega-3. Shrimp is also high in protein and serves as a source of vitamin B12, B6, E and A, selenium, iron, phosphorus, zinc and copper. With a growing world population, demands for healthy and safe seafood products will only increase in the future.
We supply safe, healthy shrimp products to a variety of markets in Europe, the United States, Asia and West Africa. In addition, we contribute to food security in Nigeria by delivering 4,000 tonnes of finfish (the bycatch of our 72 shrimp trawlers) through the 8 fish shops that we manage locally in Lagos and other major Nigerian cities. In addition, some fish is sold through local women, the so called ‘fish mamas’, who sell the fish at local community market places. In the coming years we will strive to further increase the supply of our locally produced seafood in a sustainable manner in order to feed Nigeria’s fast growing population. By doing so, we will create employment and support the Nigerian economy through import substitution and increased exports.
The demand for fish greatly exceeds supply in Nigeria. This is illustrated by the fact that Nigeria imports approximately 800,000 tonnes of fish annually. Our products can thus be regarded as a welcome addition to local markets and a contribution to making the country less dependent on imports. It is our intention not to compete with local fishermen. We have a higher cost price, due to our advanced fishing and processing technology. In addition we do not fish on the same fishing grounds as artisanal fishermen. Our shrimp trawlers are required to operate outside the 5 mile coastal zone in Nigeria.
ACTIVITY IN 2019
• Expand our network of local
‘fish mamas’ in Lagos to engage
further with the local community
and if feasible open new fish shops.
• Increase the availability of locally
produced seafood throughout
Nigeria by making our products
available in retail stores across
the country.
OBJECTIVE 2024
• Investigate the possibility to supply
our products to regions inland from
Lagos and contribute more to food
security in these regions.
PILLAR 1
HEALTHY FOOD
10 11
ACTIVITIES IN 2019
• Have the enlarged effluent water
treatment system on the farm
fully and optimally operational.
• Further develop training
programmes on hygiene, quality
and product safety at the highest
possible level for our aquaculture
employees.
• Obtain ASC certification for
our farm.
OBJECTIVES 2024
• We continue to invest in our
traceability systems in all our
operations, to keep in line with
changes in customer demands.
• We have found or developed a
natural alternative for the use
of sodium metabisulphite.
chemicals or antibiotics. Cooling down the shrimp with an ice chill-bath immediately after harvest stops all metabolic processes. Sodium metabisulphite is added to the ice chill-baths in minimal quantities to prevent melanosis occurring. In the future we would prefer to use a natural alternative.
QUALITY CONTROL IN OUR WILD-CATCH OPERATIONSWe have carefully designed our catch handling process on board our vessels to maximise product safety and quality. The shrimp and fish are sorted by species and sizes and, within 2 hours after catch, frozen to a core temperature of -18 degrees Celsius. They are then immediately packaged into final consumer packages and subsequently stored at -24 degrees Celsius in the vessels’ cold stores.
This approach ensures a very short processing chain reducing risks of contamination and reducing the number of critical control points in the HACCP process. We put much effort in raising awareness and increasing the level of knowledge concerning safe and hygienic operations on-board our vessels through obligatory training programmes provided at our own schooling facility at the centre of our operation in Lagos. We guarantee traceability of the fish and shrimp products by registering the fishing vessel and date of catch on the consumer package, immediately after catch. Product quality is checked by our own staff when the vessel comes into the port, by visiting buyers and by the Nigerian Federal Department of Fisheries.
TOP QUALITY PRODUCTS AND FOOD SAFETY
Food safety is the top priority for all our products. At the same time, we want to deliver a product as natural as possible: free from artificial colours or flavours or any chemical residues.
Since our operations are in a country with a warm climate and such circumstances are often beneficial to micro-organism growth, we face a major challenge. We overcome this through our production designs, which are aimed at the prevention of microbial growth and through the implementation of extremely strict hygiene protocols. We do this throughout our production and processing chains. This way, we do not have to resolve microbial growth chemically. Designing and updating HACCP (hygiene management) protocols, monitoring product quality, continuous training of personnel, and ensuring traceability of our products to customers are therefore of the utmost importance.
QUALITY CONTROL IN OUR AQUACULTURE OPERATIONSWe want to supply natural products which are guaranteed free of antibiotics or other veterinary medicines. We are aware that in the aquaculture industry, disease outbreaks are a commonly encountered problem. In order to prevent or treat such diseases, veterinary medicines are often used. The residues of these drugs can be detrimental to human health and with the use of antibiotics, there is a risk of developing antibiotic resistant strains of human pathogens. However, we believe in the prevention of contamination rather than relying on chemical treatments as a solution.
We are currently in the process of applying for the sustainable ASC1 certification. Since we source larvae from our own on-site hatchery facility and processing of the harvested shrimp is done in our own on-site processing plant, we are able to control the treatment of our product throughout the entire production and processing cycle. All quality control mechanisms in the on-site processing plant are BRC2 and IFS3 certified.
At the farm, we focus on preventative measures like establishing a water treatment system, which treats the incoming seawater mechanically with drum filters and UV treatment. Such a system, together with the biosecurity protocols that we have in place, help us to eradicate potential disease vectors without having to use any
ALL QUALITY CONTROL
MECHANISMS IN THE
ON-SITE PROCESSING
PLANT ARE BRC AND
IFS CERTIFIED
1 ASC = Aquaculture Stewardship Council, a certification for environmentally and socially responsible seafood. See www.asc-aqua.org.
2 BRC = BRC Global Standard for Food Safety. See www.brcglobalstandards.com3 IFS = International Featured Standards, a global standard for Food Safety and Quality. See www.ifs-certification.com.
12 13
SUSTAINABLE EXPLOITATION OF WILD STOCKS
In shrimp trawling a mix of shrimp and fish species is caught. Taking care of the marine ecosystem means that fishing pressure on biological populations should not be beyond what will secure the natural regeneration of that population in the long term. One way in which overfishing of target species is prevented lies in the fact that we are only allowed to fish outside the 5 mile fishing limit, so that we catch large, mature shrimp. Therefore the deltas, where the shrimp breed and nest, are avoided.
We have operated a fleet of 72 vessels in Nigeria for some time now and have a good understanding of trends in the abundance of the shrimp populations that we target. We believe that the catch levels of the entire national fleet are currently near maximum sustainable levels. Increases of total catches or of the fleet’s catching capacity are probably not wise. For this reason, we are wary about further increasing the size of our fleet. Newly built vessels will most likely replace older vessels being decommissioned. This was also one of the reasons for deciding to invest in shrimp aquaculture.
Since our vessels form a substantial part of the locally active fleet, we acknowledge that we have the ability to assume a leading role in progressing scientific research on fish and shrimp population abundance. For the purpose of monitoring product quality and for our sales department, all our skippers carefully register all catch quantities by species and size classes and report these daily to our office in Lagos. We believe that this detailed data could potentially provide a basis for scientific analyses of trends in the stocks that we catch.
Aquaculture farms may have an impact on global marine wild stocks, albeit indirectly, through the use of wild caught marine fish in feed. The amount of wild caught fish needed per unit of output from the aquaculture farm may vary substantially, depending on the composition of the feed and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) achieved on the farm. A critical factor in guaranteeing sustainability is knowing the origin of the feed ingredients, i.e. whether the fish used comes from sustainably managed fisheries. We strive to source the most sustainable feed available by purchasing feed from renowned and reliable suppliers, from who we demand transparency about their sourcing practices.
ACTIVITIES IN 2019
• Work exclusively with ASC
certified feed on our farm.
• Have our historic catch data
analysed by a scientific research
institute.
OBJECTIVES 2024
• We have established a relationship
with researchers to make our catch
data available on a structural basis
for the purpose of conducting stock
assessments.
• We have explored the possibility to
obtain MSC4 certification for our
shrimp fishery.
• Work with our feed supplier to
enable sourcing of ASC certified
shrimp feed produced locally.
PILLAR 2
RESPONSIBLE PRODUCTION
4MSC = Marine Stewardship Council, a certification for sustainable and well managed fisheries
14 15
ACTIVITY IN 2019
• Improve control systems (for
example with the implementation
and use of Vessel Monitoring
System) and combat IUU
fisheries in collaboration with
NITOA and the Nigerian
authorities.
• In our regular briefings before
departure, we remain focused on
the correct implementation of
fishing legislation by our captains
and other crewmembers.
OBJECTIVE 2024
• We have zero infractions on
fisheries legislation.
COUNTERING IUU FISHING AND COMPLIANCE WITH (INTER)NATIONAL LEGISLATION
Fisheries cannot be managed sustainably if illegal, unreported or unregulated (IUU) fishing activities occur. IUU fishing practices undermine the efforts of those who fish in a responsible manner.
Particularly in developing countries, IUU fishing can constitute a problem. At ASL, we are 100% dedicated to fully comply with all national and international fisheries legislation. This means that we obtain all necessary permits and licences from the Nigerian authorities or authorities in any neighbouring countries where we operate. We aim to aid the Nigerian authorities in implementing improvements to the fisheries regulatory system by entering in open dialogue with them. We do this together with other companies active in the area through the local Nigerian Trawler-Owners Association (NITOA). We work together with local control authorities in a transparent manner and share information with them about any observed IUU practices.
STRENGTHENED CULTURE OF COMPLIANCE
In 2017 we suffered a very unfortunate incident with one of our fishing vessels. The vessel was correctly licensed to fish in Ivory Coast waters but was accused of fishing across the sea border, within the territorial waters of Liberia. The vessel did not have a fishing licence there. Such an incident is against ASL company policy and all instructions given to skippers before they sail. We hold the strong position that an incident like this should not have occurred and should never re-occur in the future. To strengthen our culture of compliance and have better control over our fishing fleet whilst at sea, we have taken several measures, by which we are confident that incidents like this will be prevented in the future:
• Before each fishing trip, the skipper and crew are briefed by the company on a number of issues, including the fishing plan. In the future, during the briefing, the risks of fishing in or near borders will be emphasised more. Border areas should be avoided whenever possible, by the use of planned buffer zones.
• When fishing near a border area is part of the fishing plan, each vessel will be accompanied by at least one other ASL vessel to be able to assist in the case of an incident with engine or navigation problems. This is to prevent the vessel accidentally going across any border.
• VHF Automatic Identification System (AIS) units are installed on our trawlers by which skippers can see the locations of the vessels nearby (fitted with AIS) in their vicinity. In case of an emergency, the skipper can approach a vessel nearby for assistance. AIS is also monitored by the Nigerian Navy.
• All our vessels are equipped with an independently verified Vessel Monitoring System (VMS). VMS is a satellite based monitoring system, which provides data to the authorities on the location, course and speed of the vessels at regular intervals. This means that the entire fleet can be tracked from a distance to allow authorities and our fleet managers to conduct effective enforcement activities.
AT ASL, WE ARE 100% DEDICATED
TO FULLY COMPLY WITH ALL
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL
FISHERIES LEGISLATION.
16 17
ACTIVITY IN 2019
• We continue to work on
developing lighter fishing gear
and adopt it on a number of
vessels to test its performance.
If successful, we start adopting
the new gear across our fleet.
OBJECTIVES 2024
• We have increased our
knowledge of the bottom habitat
types on which we trawl and
where appropriate, we have
taken measures to mitigate
damages by creating maps of
wrecks for distribution within
the fleet.
• We have introduced innovative
technologies and lighter gears
across our fishing fleet.
ACTIVITY IN 2019
• Make final adaptations to the
ETP system to achieve optimal
performance and apply for
ASC certification.
OBJECTIVE 2024
• Our water quality monitoring still
shows that we are not negatively
impacting local fresh water
resources.
ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS OF OUR AQUACULTURE OPERATIONS
For the establishment of our farm, we found a stretch of land where no mangrove trees were growing, but which was a very suitable place for starting our operations. Therefore no mangrove trees needed to be removed. We are aware that mangrove trees represent the fundamental key elements of a healthy ecosystem and support biodiversity, climate resilience and the livelihoods of local communities. Therefore, if we would need to remove any mangrove trees in the future, we will make sure they are compensated for by relocating them or by planting new trees at another location.
Freshwater resources are limited in many areas and deserve protection in terms of quantity and quality. Failing to acknowledge this could lead to local depletion of supplies, which can be catastrophic to local communities that depend on them. Similarly, pollution of fresh water supplies through the disposal of unchecked waste (water) would be equally detrimental. In order to ensure that neither are occurring, the water quality of the ground water source we use is tested continuously for contaminants and for signs of depletion such as salinization.
Treatment of our waste water is the most important way to avoid contamination of the environment. It is therefore of the utmost importance that our effluent water treatment plant (ETP) system is well maintained. The ETP system that we installed was designed according to international standards. Environmental laws demand frequent analysis of waste water quality to monitor that the water is not contaminating the environment. Besides that we monitor this ourselves, this is monitored by the Nigerian authorities and by an independent party at regular intervals.
Besides pollution of the environment through waste water, local biodiversity could be impacted through the escape of shrimp which may spread diseases to the local wild populations. To prevent shrimp from escaping, the dykes around the ponds are built high to avoid flooding and the effluent water from the ponds flows through a fine screen mesh installed in the ETP. To prevent the spread of diseases via crabs or birds, specially designed overhanging fences around the ponds have been installed.
ECOSYSTEM IMPACTS OF BOTTOM TRAWLING
Bottom trawling is generally associated with a risk of damaging bottom habitats. Dependent on the habitat type (sea grass, coral reef, rock gardens or sandy plains) and the equipment used, the extent of damage varies. Our shrimp vessels use outrig equipment, which makes contact with the sandy bottom especially where the otter boards are towed over the seafloor. We participate in gear technology advances to minimise sea-floor damage of our operations, i.e. by developing and adopting lighter fishing gear.
Although we believe that turtles only rarely occur in the area where we are active, all our vessels have nets equipped with turtle excluder devices (TED) as a precautionary measure. With our operations, we were able to obtain a sustainability certification from Friends of the Sea for our main target species wild tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon).
18 19
MATERIAL USE AND WASTE MANAGEMENT
In our operations we buy and use various materials and we produce waste. Packing the shrimp and fish immediately in final consumer packages on board the vessels in Nigeria is not only beneficial for food safety but also for efficient material use. We are continuing to experiment with smarter packaging solutions, for instance by reducing the size of the plastic wrap around our shrimp packaging.
There is some room for improvement in the handling of waste on board of our vessels. We strive to make improvements in awareness about and management of waste.
An important issue with respect to waste is the loss of fishing nets. Our trawlers sometimes lose nets due to the presence of ship wrecks or obstructions on the ocean floor. Loose drifting fishing nets can form a threat to marine animals as they can get entangled in them. At the same time the ship wrecks or other obstructions on the ocean floor are a threat to the safety of the vessels and employees since getting stuck on them may cause problems.
ACTIVITIES IN 2019
• Include the subject of waste
handling into our staff training
programme and/or initiate an
awareness campaign about
waste handling.
OBJECTIVES 2024
• We will implement a system on
board the vessels with which
skippers can map wrecks in our
operating waters and we share
this information with other
fishers and fishing companies in
the region.
• We have reduced the number of
nets that our vessels lose
annually.
• We have investigated smart
packaging concepts and
sustainable package material.
PILLAR 3
SUSTAINABILITY IN OUR DAILY
BUSINESS
2020
ACTIVITY IN 2019
• We will investigate the feasibility
of installing solar panels at our
shrimp farm in Badagry and at
our wharf in Lagos.
OBJECTIVES 2024
• To have an up to date insight in
our energy use and CO2 footprint.
Based on this information we
plan to implement a strategy to
reduce energy use and green-
house gas emissions further.
• To increase the share of
renewable energy in our
energy mix by 10%.
• To use some solar power
at our shrimp farm, in case the
results from the feasibility study
are positive.
ENERGY USE AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
Our processing plants use energy and our trawlers need fossil fuels. Supplies we use in our operations are transported to our facilities. Finally, our products are transported to our customers. During all these activities, greenhouse gases are emitted. We continually investigate ways to reduce conventional energy use and possibilities to transition to renewable energies. The recently started project to investigate the adoption of lighter fishing gears is aimed at reducing fossil fuel use. As fossil fuels are expensive, their availability uncertain and prices volatile succeeding in this would bring ecological as well as economic benefits.
Technological advances, such as building new vessels, which are specifically designed to be fuel efficient are built of longer lasting durable materials, need little maintenance and are safer, provide major benefits on many levels. Such transitions in the fleet come with substantial investments and thus move at a slower pace. However we have started with two newly built shrimp vessels in the fleet and the initial performance results are very good.
We reduce transport distances where we can, for instance by aiming to source as much as we can locally. For example, our cardboardpackaging was originally produced in the Netherlands, but we now source from a Nigerian supplier.
21
WE INVESTIGATE WAYS TO
REDUCE CONVENTIONAL
ENERGY USE AND
POSSIBILITIES TO
CHANGE TO RENEWABLE
ENERGIES.
22 23
HUMAN RIGHTS
We have over 1,600 people employed at ASL and through the decisions that we make about their employment conditions we have an impact on their wellbeing. With regard to human rights, the situation is straightforward: we never engage in forced labour or child labour. We make sure that we comply with all relevant national and international human rights legislation.
Decent working conditions are an important human right as well as a prerequisite for establishing positive and long lasting relationships with our employees. We work predominantly with local employees in order to contribute to the local economy (e.g. 96% of our staff are Nigerian). Since working in the fishing sector can be physically demanding with long working days and weeks away from home, we pay great attention to worker safety and we feel that compensation should be fair.
Employees also receive pension, health care benefits and women receive maternity leave and compensation. We make sure our employees receive adequate training, are aware of safety-at-sea instructions and use protective equipment at all times. We encourage employees to connect with local Labour Unions but we like to take a proactive approach to resolving potential problems.
We believe that if we can offer people jobs that are not only safe and satisfying, but also provide prospects of increased responsibilities and personal development, they are likely to stay with us. Several Nigerian employees who have joined our company as sailors in the past, are now holding positions of Captains and Chief Engineers. With our help through coaching and trainings they have passed the necessary examinations to become licensed to carry out these new positions.
In relation to our supply chains, we do everything we can to ban abusive practices through our supplier choices. We already discussed in pillar 2 that we carefully select our feed suppliers from an ecological sustainability perspective, but even more important is that we make 100% sure that the feed used at our shrimp farms does not come from sources linked to above mentioned practices.
ACTIVITY IN 2019
• Work together with our feed
suppliers to guarantee sourcing
of sustainable shrimp feed for
the farm.
OBJECTIVES 2024
• We continue to be a responsible
employer by constantly informing
ourselves if wages are still in line
with local living cost standards and
making sure that we provide decent
and safe working conditions.
• We continue to remain vigilant of the
sources of the feed used at our
farms and demand traceability
from our suppliers.
22
PILLAR 4
CARE FOR (OUR) PEOPLE
24 2524 25
ACTIVITY IN 2019
• Reinforce our work on preventing
piracy incidents together with
local partners through the
Nigerian Trawler-Owners
Association (NITOA).
OBJECTIVE 2024
• Continue to organise safety and
health awareness campaigns
for our employees and in our
neighbouring local communities.
ACTIVITY IN 2019
• Continue working with the
Community Nursery and Primary
School in Lagos to improve
education facilities there.
OBJECTIVE 2024
• A majority of the people that we
recently recruited for work on the
farm and in the factory are still
working with us and we have helped
them develop their skills and their
employability.
COMMUNITY CARE
Similar to investing in lasting relationships with our employees, we aim to have a positive impact in the local communities by establishing lasting relationships with local partners. We engage in collaborations rather than compete with local entrepreneurs. We buy our supplies locally as much as we can and distribute much of our fish via a network of local ‘fish mamas’, so that we indirectly support jobs for many women.
Respecting local communities means that we take into account local culture and customs. Having been active in Nigeria since 1996 we have established a mature relationship with national and local governments and have earned ourselves a reputation for being a serious and reliable business. Our business integrity is based on transparency and honesty. We never engage in the direct or indirect offer, payment, soliciting or acceptance of bribes in order to circumvent regional, national or international legislation.
We would like to make a positive contribution to children’s education in Nigeria. In 2016 we decided to adopt a Community Nursery and Primary School located in Festac Extension, Mile two, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Lagos. Since the adoption we have been improving and maintaining the infrastructure of the school.
SAFETY AND HEALTH CARE
We apply a strict ‘no illegal drugs and no alcohol’ policy at our premises and on our vessels to prevent substance abuse or addiction and to minimise risks of accidents. We make sure that our employees have access to safe and clean dormitories, adequate sanitary facilities and are provided with healthy, nutritional food while living on our vessels. Our fishermen and their families receive free medical assistance at our own small clinic in Apapa, Lagos, which is manned by a doctor and two nurses. Emergency medical services are also covered for employees and their families at a hospital located nearest to their home in case they cannot reach the Apapa Clinic. Farm employees at Badagry farm receive medical services at our on-site clinic.
A crew safety issue of another nature comes from the occurrence of piracy along the Nigerian coastline. Based on risk analyses, we aim to avoid fishing areas with a high occurrence of piracy, and for a number of years we ordered our vessels to fish in groups rather than individually. At the moment we record and report incidents with piracy to local authorities and security agencies such as the Federal Department of Fisheries, Nigerian Navy and NIMASA5, and other local fishing companies. We have investigated available techniques to try to prevent pirates from boarding our vessels.
WE AIM TO HAVE A
POSITIVE IMPACT IN THE
LOCAL COMMUNITIES BY
ESTABLISHING LASTING
RELATIONSHIPS WITH
LOCAL PARTNERS.
5 NIMASA = Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency. See www.nimasa.gov.ng
26 27
Corporate Social Responsibility is to a certain extent about transparency. We have to explain to the outside world what we are doing and why and how we are doing it. At the same time, efforts to improve the sustainability of our operations will only succeed if our employees and customers understand and appreciate the value of those efforts. Therefore, effective communication, both within our organisation and with the outside world, is essential.
CSR REPORTING The Board of Directors of ASL, drawing from experience with CSR reporting by ASL’s shareholders, will produce annual sustainability reports as a tool to record and monitor developments. We currently maintain records of various indicators for commercial reasons, e.g. for monitoring quality, ensuring traceability and for providing documentation to certification bodies. We will investigate what additional information we should collect in order to make valid statements about the current state of, and progress on, CSR matters described in this document for future sustainability reporting.
INTERNAL COMMUNICATION Last but not least, it is important that our employees see the value of sustainability actions and that they feel empowered and inspired to play their own part. At the end of the day, our employees often have the best ideas on how to improve their daily work. To make the implementation of this plan a success, we will actively share the items in this plan with our staff members. The people mentioned on this page play a vital role in this.
COMMUNICATION
KAMLESH KABRAManaging Director ASLMr Kabra is responsible for the
overall management of all of our
Nigerian based operations and
reports directly to the Board of
Directors of ASL.
MONSURU ADEMOLA BALOGUNGeneral Manager ASL Mr Balogun is responsible
for overall administrative
activities and the
implementation of ASL
policies, such as HR and
Health & Safety policies.
BENEDETTE NGOZIOKONKWOVice President ASL Mrs Ben is responsible for
overall quality control
management at sea and is
involved in overall food
safety management
at ASL.
PRINCE ODION OJEIFOVice President ASL Prince Odion Ojeifo is
responsible for Corporate
Affairs and for liaising
with various government
agencies.
JACCO NUMANCSR Project Manager ASL Jacco Numan is responsible
for monitoring CSR activities.
He works from our sales office
in Holland and visits ASL
frequently.
“In this plan, we have written down who we are, how we work and what our core values are. I am looking forward to work together with our team on the implementation of the planned activities and on achieving our objectives for 2024.”
BOARD ATLANTIC SHRIMPERS LIMITED
For questions or
suggestions contact:
©2019
www.primstar.com