CEO Message

At High Liner Foods, our corporate purpose, Reimagining Seafood to Nourish Life, serves as our north star.

At no other time has that purpose come to life more than in 2022, a year in which challenging market conditions were offset by our commercial success and sustainability accomplishments. In this report, you will find stories of the sustainability impacts created by our talented global team and guided by our foundational pillars: Nourishing Health and Wellness; Supporting People and the Community; and Regenerating Ecosystems. Below are just a few of the accomplishments from our 2022 Sustainability Report that exemplify the incredible work our team has achieved.

Responsibly sourced seafood

Despite significant challenges in the global supply chain, we were able to secure a steady seafood supply through the strength of our diversified global supply chain and our strong supplier relationships. 98% of the seafood we sourced was from audited suppliers, demonstrating our commitment to responsible sourcing practices that ensure we can feed a growing world population with healthy protein, now and into the future.

Managing our emissions

We are proud of our long legacy of sustainable business practices but understand the urgency with which the world needs to address climate change. To help mitigate the most severe effects of climate change, we committed to reducing our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 30% by 2030 (versus a 2021 baseline). We significantly advanced this goal in 2022 by including an accounting of our Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and a detailed study of decarbonization opportunities in each of our manufacturing facilities.

Food and Material waste

We are well on our way to meeting our 10x20x30 commitment, an industry effort that sets a target for food suppliers to halve their food waste by 2030. In 2022, our food waste was 23% less than in 2018, and we continue on our journey of continuous improvement to achieve our 50% goal by 2030. Our collective dedication and commitment to these waste management goals was demonstrated when an employee at our Newport News, VA facility identified an innovative recycling solution for packaging previously sent to landfills. This effort diverted 600,000 pounds of waste from landfills in 2022, and our Portsmouth, NH facility will divert an additional 400,000 pounds when they implement the same recycling program in 2023.

Nourishing our people and our communities

Caring for our people and the communities in which we live and work represents a meaningful way our company purpose is brought to life. As COVID-19 protocols were lifted in 2022, we recognized that our well-being program was more important than ever, so we made enhancements to support our people and assist in their transition to new ways of working together (see details in the Supporting Our People section of this report). We are also making strides in our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) commitments through policy reviews, training programs and workshops to ensure our workplace provides a respectful sense of belonging for all. We continued to nourish our communities through 2022 with programs like The Re-Seasoning Coalition and expanded Day of Nourishment events, where employees volunteered almost 1,500 hours through organized community service events. Additionally, we donated $255,780 in community support through donations and products in 2022.

High Liner Foods: Changing the way we see food

We achieved significant financial, operational and sustainability success in 2022, and remain focused on continued learning and improvements to advance our sustainability leadership. We believe the most impactful opportunities for our industry are on the horizon and we will embrace these through our commitment to sustainable business practices that protect our people, communities and planet.

Over the last five years, we’ve significantly transformed our business to drive long-term and sustainable value creation. Now operating from the strongest position in the Company’s history, we’re approaching our future with an open mind and fresh perspective.

Earlier this year we unveiled our new corporate brand to support our ambitious growth agenda. “High Liner Foods: Changing the way we see food” represents a fundamental shift and evolution in our business. This new brand identity is rooted in our purpose, demonstrates our leadership and confidence, and sparks infinite creative potential to help us chart our own course for new opportunities and innovations.

Given the fast pace of change and evolving consumer needs in our world today, we know that looking at our category, industry and business through different and non-obvious lenses will unlock enormous potential to inspire more sustainable seafood consumption. We believe seafood is the best natural protein capable of feeding the world and we’re set on helping our customers and consumers see this potential in new and inspiring ways.

I would like to offer my congratulations and appreciation to all of our employees, customers and partners for the invaluable roles you have played in helping us reach this pivotal moment for our company and brand!

Sincerely,

Rod Hepponstall
President and CEO