Steward Supplements arose from the Alaskan fishing community. Our core members are fisherman who approach their craft in a forward-thinking manner centered on a 100% commitment to not harming the ocean’s fragile ecology and ensuring the sustainability of marine resources for future generations.
We designed and built our own line catch fishing vessels, permanently committing to sustainable, low impact fishing methods. Line catching ensures that only target species are harvested, and the bycatch is minimal. Ecologically sound fishing methods made possible our achieving the coveted Marine Stewardship Council certification for low impact and sustainable harvesting practices.
Alaskan fishing operations are conducted in collaboration with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), a department of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). One of the responsibilities of NMFS is to monitors fish species populations to determine fishing quotas. This cooperation between private industry and government organizations has helped to keep Alaskan fish stocks robust and sustainable.
Five years ago, our team decided that the best way to utilizing every part of the fish harvested was to enter the human and animal nutrition sector. Instead of discarding ocean resources, we can now turn wild caught fish trimmings into high quality health products. Utilizing the entire fish is sound environmental policy. What doesn’t end up on the dinner table is used to produce pure, fresh, nutrient dense omega-3 ingredients.
The path to fishing sustainably was developed and refined over several years. Now, with the launch of Steward Supplements, our team wondered how we might up our commitment to improving the environment from the beginning―this desire led us to 1% for the Plant.
In Search for the Lonely Whale
1% Percent for the Planet is an extraordinary organization that helps companies put their resources to good use in the most meaningful ways possible. Having already directed hundreds of million dollars to environmental organizations around the world, their mission has only just begun. Steward Supplements has joined 1% for the Planet on their quest to make a positive impact on the global ecosystem.
The question then became which environmental organization should Steward choose to contribute 1% of our top line sales to? Which nonprofit shares our vision of ocean health and resource sustainability and has a vision big enough to bring about meaningful change?
In Seattle, Washington, where our fishing vessels harbor and repair in the off seasons, our team was introduced to Lonely Whale, a nonprofit that is committed to remedying some of the worst blights that mankind has inflicted on the planet’s oceans. Their current focus is mitigating and reversing the appalling levels of plastic waste that is being dumped into the oceans. The strategy to achieve this critical goal includes education, top level systems strategies, and partnering with major corporations who can help create real change.
Lonely Whale’s Mission Statement:
“Lonely Whale is an incubator for courageous ideas that drive impactful change on behalf of our ocean. Inspired by the power of community to create the change we need to ensure a healthy planet, we are working towards a new era of radical collaboration, together facilitating the creation of innovative ideas that push the boundary on current trends in technology, media and advocacy that positively impact the health of our ocean.”
Just over a thousand miles south of the Bering Sea, between the California coast and Hawaii, lies the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. This swirling mass of primarily plastic waste covers an area twice the size of Texas and is currently comprised of 80,000 tons of plastic waste. Globally, oceans and shorelines are inundated with plastic waste, often with a terrible impact on marine wildlife. Dead whales are found at sea or washed up on shore with their abdomens crammed full of plastic waste…
Something must be done immediately to address this global crisis. Lonely Whale is the organization we are counting on to achieve results and stop the madness.
Tommy Little
Founder Steward Supplements