From left, Cooke Aquaculture co-owner Mike Cooke, Fairmont Algonquin Executive Chef Ryan Dunne, Cooke Aquaculture co-owner and CEO Glenn Cooke, and New Brunswick Fisheries Minister Rick Doucet celebrate the addition of Seafood Trust Certified Eco Label salmon to the menus at the Fairmont Algonquin hotel and resort in St. Andrews, N.B., on Wednesday, Sept. 23. Cooke Aquaculture is North America’s only producer of Seafood Trust Certified Eco Label salmon. The certification was earned for Cooke’s dedication to producing high quality Atlantic salmon in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner. Chef Dunne is reworking his menus to inform customers he’s serving Certified Eco Label salmon.

Sept. 23, 2009

ST. ANDREWS – Fairmont Algonquin Executive Chef Ryan Dunne has put environmental sustainability on the menu, serving some of North America’s first SEAFOOD TRUST Certified Eco Label salmon at a reception at the Algonquin hotel and resort in St. Andrews by the Sea on Wednesday, Sept. 23.

Algonquin guests can now order sustainably raised salmon year round.

“Fairmont Hotels and Resorts is committed to providing our guests with quality product from environmentally conscious partners. It has become an expectation from our guests that the food we produce at each of our properties is fresh from local growers and producers who share our environmental values,” Dunne said.

“Environmental assurances, such as the SEAFOOD TRUST Certified Eco Label, provide our guests increased confidence that our food is of highest quality and freshness.”

The SEAFOOD TRUST Certified Eco Label clearly illustrates that True North Salmon is fresh, healthy and produced using ecologically sound practices.

“We are very fortunate to have genuine Atlantic salmon literally at our fingertips. There is not a chef in the world who would not envy our position. The product we serve at our resort is raised right in Passamaquoddy Bay. You can’t get fresher than that,” Dunne said.

Cooke Aquaculture’s marketing division, True North Salmon, is the first company in North America to offer SEAFOOD TRUST Certified Eco Label farmed Atlantic salmon. Certified under the internationally-recognized Seafood Trust label, the salmon is sold at retail under the Heritage Salmon brand.

“The SEAFOOD TRUST Certified Eco Label identifies True North Salmon as being in compliance with strict international standards respecting quality, traceability and sustainable production methods,” said CEO Glenn Cooke, who has guided this family-owned business through 25 years of sustainable growth.

Ronald Ouellette, New Brunswick’s Minister of Agriculture and Aquaculture, said the Seafood Trust Eco Label is a great incentive for Atlantic Canadians to eat food produced locally.

“It’s not only great for your health, it’s also good for the environment and for the local economy,” Ouellette said.

New Brunswick Fisheries Minister Rick Doucet said the seafood industry is committed to demonstrating sustainable practices.

“Whether it’s salmon or lobsters, mussels, scallops or other seafood products, sustainability is a key component of our fisheries – wild and farmed,” he said.

Chef Dunne invited members of the Southern New Brunswick coastal communities in which Cooke operates to join company officials, customers and media to celebrate the eco certification with a gourmet lunch of cold smoked salmon appetizers followed by salmon filets in marinade as the main course. SEAFOOD TRUST Certified Eco Label salmon is produced by True North Salmon and its parent company, Cooke Aquaculture, based in Blacks Harbour with operations in all four Atlantic provinces as well as Maine and Chile.

This certification tells today’s smart consumers that Cooke is producing healthy Atlantic salmon in a healthy marine environment while adhering to strict environmental standards throughout its operations.

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ONLINE
www.cookeaqua.com
www.truenorthsalmon.com
www.fairmont.com/algonquin
www.gtcert.com (Global Trust Certification)

CONTACTS
Ryan Dunne, Executive Chef
FAIRMONT ALGONQUIN HOTEL AND RESORT

Phone: 506-529-7179
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Nell Halse, VP Communications
COOKE AQUACULTURE
Office: 1-506-694-4908
Mobile: 1-506-651-2434
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Jean Lamontagne, VP Marketing
COOKE AQUACULTURE
Office: 1-506-694-4910
Mobile: 1-506-754-2897
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BACKGROUND

Global Trust Seafood Certification
The SEAFOOD TRUST Certified Eco Label was awarded to True North by Global Trust Certification, a world leader in independent seafood certification.
Seafood Trust Certification meets the highest standards for credible certification and eco labeling programs (ISO 65) including the 2008 technical guidelines established by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for aquaculture certification. The Seafood Trust Certified Quality and Eco Standards for farmed salmon production ensure consistently high-quality seafood and environmental best practices.

What consumers say
A 2008 Ipsos-Reid survey highlighted the importance consumers place on eco-friendly products when they make purchasing decisions. Nearly 57 per cent of respondents who eat seafood said eco labeled seafood is safer to eat.  The study also showed that these consumers make favourable inferences about eco labeled salmon such as “better quality” and “more confident about wholesomeness” than conventional/non-eco label seafood.

More About Farmed Atlantic Salmon
Farmed Atlantic salmon is an exceptionally high source of omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, hypertension and Alzheimer’s disease, enhance brain development in children, and prevent depression. With half the world’s fish supply now coming from aquaculture rather than capture fisheries, aquaculture represents the future of heart-healthy proteins for a growing global population.

About True North Salmon
Based in Black Harbour, New Brunswick, True North Salmon is the processing, distribution and marketing division of Cooke Aquaculture. True North’s Atlantic salmon are grown in the cold, pristine waters of Eastern Canada and the state of Maine where they are given ample space to swim, top-quality feed, and the care of professional veterinarians and biologists. True North Salmon is dedicated to delivering the freshest salmon, year-round, through its Heritage Salmon brand of products.