Correspondence
Email sent to the contact address for Vassiliou Trofinko S.A.
The email said that Lidl’s own brand of squid, packed by Vassiliou Trofinko for Lidl's Eridanous range, is processed at a seafood plant in China called Zhoushan Xifeng Aquatic Co. Ltd. Visual evidence shows Xifeng being supplied by at least three companies whose vessels have a history of fishing offenses, including lengthy transmission gaps, illegal fishing and shark finning. The email asked if the company had any comment to make in light of the information discovered in The Outlaw Ocean Project investigation.
Senior management at Vassiliou Trofinko (Maria Gyftopoulou, Purchasing Director, and Xenofon Spyridon Lourantos, General Manager) replied by email, saying they had carefully studied the information sent by The Outlaw Ocean Project. The email said all of the company's suppliers are checked for compliance with: EU rules and regulations, HACCP, and official certifications such as MSC and EcoVadis. Their suppliers are required to sign the Business Social Compliance Initiative Code of Conduct. The company also said that Zhoushan Xifeng supplied approved fishing certificates and a declaration that it was not involved in any fishing offenses. The Xifeng statement was attached, and was the same as that supplied separately by Lidl to The Outlaw Ocean Project.
The Outlaw Ocean Project replied with an email highlighting traceability issues regarding Chinese catch and processing, plus outlining specific details regarding vessels found via video evidence supplying squid to Xifeng.
Vassiliou Trofinko S.A.'s management (Maria Gyftopoulou, Purchasing Director, and Xenofon Spyridon Lourantos, General Manager) replied, reiterating their previous reliance on, and confidence in, the aforementioned documentation and certification.
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed Vassiliou Trofinko S.A. asking if it accepts that Zhoushan Xifeng processes squid from fishing companies with ties to illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing issues.
The company replied saying that their previous emails and respective attachments had entirely covered all queries. It said it only works with documented facts and has nothing else to add.