Sustainable fishing
Saldanha promotes responsible fishing practices through the code of conduct set out by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF).
All our fisheries (which includes the management, catching, processing, and marketing of fish products) comply with government regulations, in particular, fishing practices and the regulations and permit conditions through TAC (Total Allocated Catch). We’re strongly against unregulated fishing and we’re absolutely committed towards the sustainability of our oceans and the environment.
In 2017, Pilchards was moved from green to orange on SASSI’s sustainability list due to uncertainties regarding the health of the resource in South Africa. Therefore, we adhere to strict government regulations to ensure the longevity of the species and by procuring raw material for our cannery from areas where the fish population is not at risk. This also allows us to provide more than 400 cannery employees with sustainable jobs.
Feeding schemes
Saldanha is an approved supplier to the National School Nutrition Programme (NSNP), which provides a daily meal to millions of school children throughout South Africa.
The NSNP aims to enhance the learning capacity of learners through the provision of a healthy meal at schools. Where it is implemented, the programme has shown to improve punctuality, regular school attendance, concentration and the general wellbeing of participating learners.
We’re proud to be involved with the programme and continuously looking for similar initiatives that we can assist in making a difference in the lives of Africa’s youth.
Workers’ trust
The Saldanha Foods Employee Trust was established in November 2013. This trust aims to address historical imbalances and enhance the Group’s contribution to transformation in the fishing industry by broadening the participation of historically disadvantaged employees.
To achieve this goal, all qualifying employees of Saldanha Foods are beneficiaries of the employee trust – entitling them to share in an annual dividend which is paid based on the profitability of the Group. During the most recent pay-out, some 570 beneficiaries received payments from the trust.
Community initiatives
Our staff and surrounding community play an integral part in our business. In turn, we have invested back into our staff and the communities in which they live through a series of social and community initiatives.
We recognise the impact that education has, not only on individuals, but also families and the community as a whole. Therefore, most of our efforts in terms of social investments are focused on early childhood development and learning opportunities throughout the primary, secondary and tertiary phases.
We support organisations in our employees’ communities that assist us in this strategic objective. Be it in the form of financial support to the local primary and secondary schools that our employees’ children attend, or hospitals and clinics close to our operations that keep them healthy and school-going.
