Tassal Group Ltd

The company mentions that its primary supplier has a science-based target validated by the Science Based Target Initiative, in which the supplier committed to a 58% reduction per unit of a value-added product by 2030 in GHG emissions across their supply chain with a 2018 baseline. However, the company does not have a science-based target for its own operations.

The company acknowledges the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It also mentions that it discloses its energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the Government annually. The company discloses being in the process of developing GHG emissions targets. It aims to be net zero by 2050 and is currently assessing its science-based datasets to set a climate roadmap for 2030. However, no quantitative target is reported. The company states that the scope of the report covers all areas of the business. Therefore, the geographic scope is considered universal. The company states that it uses purchases feed comprising of soy and other land-based proteins, which contribute to the company's indirect emissions. The company also states that it will conduct a detailed life cycle assessment in FY2022 to include Scope 3 emissions. However, Scope 3 emissions are not disclosed in the reporting period.

The company mentions that its primary feed supplier has an ambition to achieve a reduction of 30% Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 with a 2018 baseline. In addition, under the Science Based Targets initiative, they have committed to a 58% reduction per unit of value-added product by 2030 in GHG emissions across their supply chain with a 2018 baseline. However, it is not clear if the company itself is working with suppliers to reduce emissions from agriculture.

The company does not disclose innovations to reduce emissions from feed farming.

The company does not disclose innovations to reduce emissions from animal farming.

The company reports its emissions under the Australian National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) scheme. Emissions from Scope 1 and Scope 2 were 41,618 t Co2-e and 27,618 t CO2-e respectively in FY2021. The company states that the scope of the report covers all areas of the business. Therefore, the geographic scope is considered universal.

The company does not disclose emissions from animal farming or feed production.

The company does not disclose information on climate to the CDP, nor does it disclose if its data is audited by a third party.

The company discloses its GHG emissions for Scope 1 and Scope 2 for FY20 and FY21. The company’s emissions have increased from 58,544 tonnes of Co2-e to 69,236 tonnes of Co2-e due to an increase in overall production. The company states that the report covers all businesses of Tassal Group. Therefore, the scope is universal. The company discloses a decrease in emissions from feed. In FY19, the company's total carbon footprint from feed was 5.08 Co2-e per kg of feed produced. In FY20, it was 4.59 of Co2-e per kg produced. However, it is unclear whether this includes all feed suppliers or its primary feed suppliers.

The company has not conducted climate-related scenario analysis.

However, it includes climate risks in its risk management system and mentions that in FY2022, it will explore the impacts of transition risks, such as changes in regulation and carbon pricing on their business. It reports that comprehensive risk management is used to manage long-term risks and opportunities presented by climate change. In response, the company has adopted various measures, including the diversification of species with prawns as they are 'warmer' climate species, focusing on selective breeding for salmon, which can withstand the temperature rise and volatility and modification of farming technologies.

The company has not committed to aligning its CAPEX with its GHG targets.

Soy Protein Concentrate represents a relatively small percentage of total feed ingredient inclusion (4-5%). It has not yet conducted a risk assessment to identify high-risk deforestation areas it sources of animal feed from.

The company indicates that the soy used in its animal feed is obtained from sustainable sources and that 100% of the Soy Protein Concentrate used in the feed has been ProTerra certified since 2016. This certifies that the soy did not come from agricultural land that has been cleared for cultivation after 2009.

This applies to all operations and soy sourced.

The company discloses that it has achieved full certification of soy sourced since 2016. The company has not responded to the CDP Forests questionnaire in 2021.

The company mentions that it wants to ensure that its suppliers only purchase vegetable ingredients that have been cultivated by farmers who have not contributed to deforestation. However, it does not provides any details of how it engages with its suppliers on the same.

The company discloses that 100% of soy purchased by its feed supplier is ProTerra certified. ProTerra certification entails actions if non-compliance is detected. The company does not yet have full traceability of soy sourced. The company mentions that it is required to provide traceability of soy to the country of origin however it does not have traceability to the sub-national region or biome for both direct and indirect suppliers.

The company discusses that the focus on feed innovation is increasing. However, it does not reports its own engagement in feed innovation yet.

The company discloses that 100% of its farms are ASC or BAP certified. The Rookwood Road, Russell Falls, Western Zone, Mission Beach, Proserpine (Prawn hatcheries) and Mission Beach are BAP certified. Whereas, the Southern Zone, Channel Zone, Eastern Zone, Storm Bay Zone and Proserpine are certified by both the ASC and the BAP.

The company discloses the composition of its salmon and prawn feed. Salmon feed is made from 34.4% land animal ingredients, 51.1% agricultural ingredients, 6.4% fish meal and 8.1% fish oil, whereas prawn feed is made from 5.9% land animal ingredients, 61% agricultural ingredients, 1% fish oil and 32.1% fish meal. Furthermore, the company discloses 100% of soy used in feed is ProTerra certified and 100% of fish meal and 76% fish oil was certified. Finally, the company discloses the forage fish dependency ratio for both fishmeal and fish oil for the past three reporting periods.

100% of soy and fishmeal sourced is certified and 76% of fish oil is certified. The company produces two species (salmon and prawns) and reports a quantitative increase in both eFCR and bFCR for salmon. Unfortunately, eFCR for prawns which was 1.96 in FY20 increased to 2.06 in FY21. Similarly, eFCR for salmon increased from 1.26 in FY20 to 1.28 in FY21. The FFDRm figures show a decrease in the current reporting period from 0.40 in FY20 to 0.27 in FY21 and a further decrease to 0.15 in 1H22. The FFDRo figures show a slight decrease from 2.19 in FY20 to 2.17 in FY21. This remained constant at 2.17 in 1H22. The company discloses the volume of purchased ASC-compliant ingredients. It discloses that 100% of fish meal purchased is compliant and this makes up 11,681 MT. Similarly, it discloses that 76% of fish oil is certified which makes up 6,448 MT. However, it does not disclose total absolute volumes of FMFO sourced or include a breakdown of whole fish vs. by products.

The company provides a discussion about feed innovation and mentions it is in the process of setting targets related to feed composition and innovation. It has not completed a risk assessment identifying how the availability going forward of current marine and soy ingredients will impact production.

The company discloses average EPA and DHA content of the salmon it produces. The company has not set a target to increase the use of alternative feed ingredients.

The company discloses the survival rate for salmon in both freshwater (79.5%) and in marine (93.6%).

The company discloses it had four cases of disease outbreaks in FY19. In FY20 and FY21, the number of disease outbreaks remained constant at zero. The company discusses a number of actions it takes in order to prevent disease outbreak including training of its employees on the importance of biosecurity. The company focuses on conducting internal audits, education of their team members, positive release forms and information technology systems to facilitate and monitor appropriate biosecurity measures. The company also discusses adapting a selective breeding program to incorporate elements of pathogen resilience to maximise the efficacy of vaccines and ensure improvements of AGD bathing strategy and working with the industry association to reduce the risk of white spot syndrome to prawn fisheries and the wider environment.

The company mentions it has an internal algae monitoring protocol that outlines sampling requirements and responses to alert and action levels. The responses include repeat sampling for species verification, escalation to management, observe fish behaviour, stop feeding, consider venturation of pens, sample affected fish and tarping or oxygen generation in case of severe blooms.

The company does not disclose any information related to mortalities and disease outbreaks in shrimp farming.

The company mentions as part of its ASC certification, prawn farms require the filtration of inlet water to minimise the entry of pathogens. 100% of the company's farms are ASC certified.

There are currently no sea lice in Australia. Therefore, the company has not been assessed in this KPI.

The company discloses there were 0 salmon and prawn escapes in FY21 and discloses data on escapes for the three previous reporting periods for its salmon operations. The company mentions it implements protocols to manage the associated risks and significantly reduce the likelihood of escapes from its salmon and prawn farms.

The company makes a commitment to clean-up all marine debris from its operations and ensuring it does not negatively impact the environment. It has taken several steps for the same. In the reporting period, it spent 2635 hours collecting marine debris and removed 110m3 of rubbish from the sea. It has reached a target of less than 10% shoreline debris originating from the company and aims to further reduce it to 5%. The company has implemented a new program which aims to stop marine debris at source. For this, the company is involved into training of staff, floating equipment registers, twice daily gear checks, GPS trackers on large floating items, marked gear, marine debris pledges from their contractors and suppliers, reporting, routine disclosure, rapid response for lost gear that involves notice to mariners and sea and air-based searches, research projects, an industry code of practice and a cross departmental working group to monitor actual trends and drive R&D and innovation. The company mentions that it has designated Wildlife Officers on sites that support the monitoring and mitigation of wildlife interactions. Their deterrent users are trained, abide by their wildlife policies, and adhere to the regulatory and internal reporting systems. The company has ceased using scare caps in 2020, and have reduced the use of crackers by over 90% and bean bags by over 80% from FY20 to FY21. It mentions that deterrent use remains a last resort, and is used only when people’s safety is directly threatened. However, the company's performance on wildlife conflicts has been particularly poor when compared to peers and these initiatives do not go far enough to correct this.

The company set a target to optimize water use in land-based hatcheries across salmon and prawn operations. It also discloses the volume of freshwater use across all is sectors. However, no further deatils on the target achievement and/or progress is reported and it is unclear if water use relates to water consumption.

The company has disclosed freshwater use (withdrawals) by source across it operations and processing.

The company procures feed ingredients from its suppliers. However, it does not mentions about water scarcity in its Supplier Code of Conduct.

The company aims to maintain low impact footprint of freshwater use in farming operations and optimise water use in land-based hatcheries across salmon and prawn operations. It also plans to undertake feasibility assessments of freshwater salmon hatcheries utilising flow-through technology with a target to move to 100% RAS facilities by 2030.

The company mentions that wastewater is treated on-site. However, no information found regarding non compliance with water quality permits, standards, and regulations. The company has not conducted an analysis to identify its processing facilities operating in water-stressed areas. The company has not set quality or volume targets.

The company that by-products are upcycled to fishmeal and fish oil used in other stockfeed and pet food. However, it does not disclose if it converts animal by-products to fertilizer or biogas.

The company does not disclose information related to nutrient management in feed farming.

The company has a target to establish a carrying capacity framework for integrating farm performance with environmental and fish health performance. However, no data is reported that discloses the percentage of sites that exceed carrying capacity of local environment by operating country. The company mentions that sludge is managed through approved composting and land spreading sites to value add these resources. However, it does not discloses if no sludge is discharged into waterways.

The company conducted a community survey which determined that 78% of respondents supported or had a neutral view of the industry, with positive contributions including regional employment, economic benefits and the production of healthy food. It also has an ongoing Community Advisory Groups (CAGs) in its key areas of operation. Their CAGs act as an opportunity for information exchange and allow the company to understand what matters to the communities it operates in.

The company prohibits the routine use of all antibiotics in it's operations and supply chain. The usage of antibiotics is conducted under the supervision of a vet and is used for isolated health issues, in line with strict fish health and welfare policies. The company’s farms are all ASC certified, which means that antibiotics can only be given when a disease has been diagnosed. ASC certification also prohibits the use of CIAs. Additionally, the company states that 100% of the fish is vaccinated against pilchard orthomyxovirus before they are put in sea, and that it has invested considerably in salmon vaccine development to enhance welfare.

The company states that no antibiotics were used in the reporting year, and company’s data on antibiotics use is audited by ASC.

The company provides a statement on the importance of animal welfare. It has set numerous targets to ensure animal welfare in its operations. It aims to achieve Tier - 1 status under Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW) by 2030. At present, the company has a range of tools and processes to manage animal health including animal health management plans for all salmon and prawn farms. It also states that animals are checked and monitored every single day for behaviour, appetite and any abnormal signs, and a specialized animal health department carries out diagnostic and routine visits. It carries out animal health and welfare risk assessments before major husbandry events, such as smolt transport to sea sites or post-larval movement to our grow out farms. It also has strict animal handling protocols in place to ensure appropriate handling of animals by employees. The company mentions that it maintains a stocking density lower than 17kg/m3 for salmon at all times. In the current reporting period, the sticking density is reported to be 8kg. The company mentions it has animal handling protocols in place to ensure appropiate handling of animals by its employees for both salmon and prawns. This includes a requirement for handling to only be carried out when absolutely necessary and to keep time out of water to a minimum. These protocols communicate to employees the methods expected when holding animals and animal recovery following handling. The company mentions fish are harvested by percussive stun followed by bleeding on the harvest vessel. For prawns, the company mentions it stuns them through chilling in an ice slurry.

The company tracks the stocking density of salmon. However, it does not track other welfare metrics.

The company does not report R&D spend for optimal environmental enrichment.

The company provides a high-level statement on human rights. It mentions that in FY2021, it joined the United Nations Global Compact Network Australia and pledged commitment to their Ten Principles on human rights.

The company has assessed the risk of forced labour in both its own operations and supply chain. It increases its knowledge and awareness through engagement with industry experts, attending webinars, and reviewing reports on risks specific to its supply chain or more broadly associated with the food manufacturing industry. However, it does not do the same for other human rights issues. The company has implemented a modern slavery performance scorecard reported quarterly to allow it to measure, track and evaluate the effectiveness of its actions. However, it does not disclose how it monitors and reviews respect for human rights in general. The company provides modern slavery training for key internal stakeholders with the aim of extending the program to all employees. In the future, it aims to strengthen and implement Modern Slavery Procedures with a focus on systems for investigation and remediation. It also provides training on sex-based harassment and discrimination prevention.

However, it does not disclose how it mitigates human rights risks in general and remediates people and/or communities.

The company provides a high-level statement on working conditions. It discusses the importance of fair wages and the implementation of its anti-discrimination policies. The company also states that it does not permit harassment against anyone on the any grounds. Furthermore, its 2021 Modern Slavery Statement prohibits forced and child labour. Compliance with these policies is audited and certified in each of the company's sites. In its supplier code of conduct, the company mentions it requires all suppliers to also prohibit forced labour and child labour, promote fair wages, preventing discrimination, harassment and inhumane treatment. The company does not disclose whether it provides sick pay to its workers.

The company discloses that their cross-departmental Modern Slavery Working Group continued the assessment of modern slavery risks in the overall supply chain. In 2021, it completed the assessment of Category A suppliers. They all demonstrated an understanding and awareness of modern slavery and the requirements set out in the code of conduct and Ethical Standards. However, it is not clear if the company monitors compliance for policies in its supply chain beyond slavery through audits. The company has a grievance mechanism via its whistleblower policy where violations can be reported anonymously and further investigation is confidential. However, it does not disclose whether it was designed in consultation with stakeholders. The policy covers directors, suppliers, employees and contractors. Therefore, the geographic scope is universal.

In its Work Health & Safety Policy, the company provides a high-level commitment to protecting the health and safety of all its workers. It is also ISO 45001 certified. It has a Work Health and Safety (WHS) Management System and has embedded a WHS Compliance and Driving Safety Culture set of Scorecards, conducted by a dedicated safety team at each site, to systematically measure each of the components of their system. The company mentions that it has a target to achieve zero use of antimicrobials listed as critically important by the World Health Organisation. However, it does not discuss how it manages antimicrobial resistance risk for workforce.

The company discloses a total recordable injury frequency rate of 14.13 for the reporting period, up from 8.03 in 2020. However, the rates for 2019, 2018 and 2017, were 12.05, 12.18 and 13.84 respectively. It also discloses that it had zero fatalities in the reporting period, which has been consistent each year since 2017. The company only reports the total turnover rate and does not disaggregate it by seniority level.

The company provides a basic statement on collective bargaining and freedom of association. However, it does not disclose the unionisation rate. Furthermore, it does not provide a description of measures taken to support rights. It also expects suppliers to allow workers the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

It states that 51.33% of its workforce is covered by an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement. The company provides information on the distribution of its workforce across exisiting contractual agreements.

The company has 8 processing facilities, all of which have a GFSI certification. The company discloses 100% of its contract processors hold an accreditation to a GFSI benchmarked food safety standard.

The company discloses that annual audits for both SQF and BAP certified sites.

The company states it has an internal product recall procedure to provide guidance for the orderly recall or withdrawal of any food product that is sold or produced. The company mentions the procedure details the requirements for mandatory reporting to the authorities in certain situations where the public may be at risk, and responsibilities of its recall commitee. However, the company does not disclose this information publicly. The company discloses there were 0 recalls in the reporting year.

The company discloses there were 0 market bans in the reporting year.

The company mentions that the board oversees the company's sustainability related material risk areas. The company states that it has conducted a materiality assessment in 2020. It also discloses the most material topics. However, the company does not specify whether the Board of Directors has oversight or is involved in the process. The company discusses the experience of one board member in corporate social responsibility. However, it does not explicitly mentions any expertise in sustainability. One of the company's board members seem to have expertise in food production and processing. The company does not appear to have a board member with expertise in product development and innovation.

The company states that executive's remuneration has two components. Fixed and variable. However, the variable component is not disclosed to be linked with sustainability performance. The company mentions that it has collaborative partnerships with scientific and research organizations, such as the Blue Economy CRC, CSIRO and IMAS. In FY2021, it mentions that it directly funds and collaborates in research to improve animal health and welfare outcomes. In the reporting period, all fish transferred to sea were vaccinated against POMV and zone-specific endemic pathogens. The company discloses its memberships with trade associations, alliances and coalitions.

The company is carrying out technological innovation to drive its sustainability-related innovations. For example, the company collaborated with Blue Economy, a Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) program that brings together expertise in the seafood, marine renewable energy and offshore marine engineering sectors to deliver innovative solutions to further reduce their environmental impact such as smart farming. The company has a target to achieve low to medium-risk status in global ESG benchmarking. However, it does not reports its status in the current reporting period or what it plans to benchmark itself against.

The company does not indicate having an approach towards diversifying its product range to include plant-based and alternative proteins.

The company has not publicly acknowledged protein diversification as a material business issue.