Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings announced today that it has expanded its commitment to responsible sourcing practices including the legal, ethical and humane treatment of animals within its supply chain, according to a press release.

In support of the company’s global sustainability program, Sail & Sustain, the company strengthened its efforts with new standards and goals to promote animal welfare and sustainable sourcing across four key areas: chicken, eggs, pork and seafood.

“We are pleased to strengthen our commitment to animal welfare and responsible sourcing with concrete goals around chicken, eggs, pork and seafood. We recognize our responsibility to be good corporate citizens and our unique position to drive a positive impact across our supply chain,” said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. “We do not plan to stop here, and we will continue to engage with our diverse suppliers worldwide to promote and encourage sustainable practices including animal welfare.”

Animal welfare is important to the company and its stakeholders, and the company encourages its suppliers to implement procedures to prevent the mistreatment of animals. Current goals are outlined below:

• 100% target for chicken purchased from suppliers in the U.S. and Canada who meet GAP standards by 2024: The Company is currently phasing in updated purchasing policies for chicken using standards from the Global Animal Partnership (GAP). These standards define humane treatment for chicken housing and processing. By 2024, we plan to have all chicken purchased in the U.S. and Canada sourced from suppliers who meet GAP standards.
• 100% target for cage-free eggs from U.S. suppliers by end of 2025: For laying hens, cage-free confinement systems are considered to be more humane as they allow greater freedom of movement and space to express more natural behaviors than conventional methods. That’s why the Company continues to identify and encourage U.S.-based suppliers to use cage-free environments for their hens.
• 100% target for gestation crate-free pork by 2025: The Company is actively engaging with its suppliers to source only pork products that have been raised without the use of gestation crates.
• 100% certified sustainable seafood by 2025: The Company has made strong progress to purchase all seafood from certified sustainable sources. More than half of its worldwide seafood purchases was certified by a recognized certification authority, such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP), or the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA), in 2019.

“Our strong and diverse supply chain, consisting of nearly 20,000 global suppliers, form the underpinnings of our day-to-day operations,” said Carl Robie, executive vice president of supply chain and logistics of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. “It’s a natural step for us to align all levels of our business with our global sustainability program, Sail & Sustain, and we are pleased to not only formally define our Animal Welfare Commitment but also outline our overall Responsible Sourcing Mission Statement. Through these initiatives, we can ensure responsible sourcing practices will remain deeply rooted across our entire organization.”