Yarrah Organic pet food will immediately cease the use of certified organic fish in their pet food products with fish (7 out of the 36 different products). The regulations for production of organic fish does not comply with the mission of Yarrah, namely produce the finest organic pet food in the most responsible and sustainable manner. Yarrah will therefore be replacing organic fish with Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fish effective immediately.
Arthur Hartman, Yarrah QA manager: “After an investigation of organic fish, we discovered that due to current organic regulations:
1. It takes approximately 3 kg of sustainable, non organic fish derivatives to produce 1 kg of organic fish;
2. Organic fish are reared in captivity; sustainable caught fish swim in open water;
3. Some of our products contain salmon. In their natural habitat, a salmon swims solo. In captivity, the salmon is forced to swim in schools.
For Yarrah, animal welfare is crucial, but also sustainability for future generations. Yarrah firmly believes that the regulations for certified organic fish do not meet the core spirit of organic principles.”
Replacing organic fish with MSC fish will have an impact on the Yarrah brand. For many years, the entire Yarrah range has been 100% organic. Jolanda Huizing, Marketing & Communication: “The ethical and logical decision to use MSC fish means the products containing fish will be classified only as “organic”, and loose the “100% organic” stature. Oddly enough however, these products will no longer be legally 100% organic, but are much closer to the organic principle!”
Yarrah will use only Marine Stewardship Council certified fish until the regulations for organic fish are changed to meet the basic (Yarrah) organic principles, care for the environment and animal welfare. Yarrah firmly believes that pet owners across the world will understand and support this decision. They depend on Yarrah not just because of the high quality ingredients, but also the core philosophy behind the brand; healthy, animal friendly, completely transparent and responsible.