Inside the Mind of a Seafood Buyer: Where Quality, Price, and Sustainability Meet

An interview with Sandra Rietkerk, Purchasing Supervisor with Seattle Fish Company (member Sea Pact Member Board)

Can you describe your responsibilities as a seafood buyer and how sustainability considerations fit into your day-to-day purchasing decisions?

As a seafood buyer, I manage key product categories such as salmon, groundfish, and pelagics by analyzing sales trends, forecasting demand, and planning the volumes we bring in. Every purchasing decision involves balancing quality, price, and availability, but sustainability is equally central. We aim to create a measurable impact on the species we source by aligning with vendors who are farming or harvesting responsibly. Certification programs and benchmarks like MSC, ASC, BAP, and Seafood Watch provide important guideposts for evaluating products and suppliers. I’m always looking at how each purchase supports both the long-term health of the resource and the communities that depend on it.

While Seattle Fish Company (SFC) is a founding Sea Pact member, you are fairly new to Sea Pact. What motivated you personally to be involved?

I specifically asked to represent SFC within Sea Pact because I wanted to learn from members who have been leaders in sustainability within our industry. Their collective experience is invaluable. I also see it as a chance to advocate for continued growth and positive change for both our company and the seafood sector overall. Joining the Sea Pact member board lets me contribute to conversations that shape how we source, how we collaborate, and how we protect the fisheries and farms we all rely on.

What tangible benefits has Seattle Fish, or you personally, identified since joining Sea Pact?

Sea Pact has strengthened our sourcing and sustainability strategy by giving us access to shared knowledge and collaborative initiatives. For example, we’ve advanced our work on responsible sourcing for species such as grouper, snapper, tuna, and mahi by participating in Sea Pact initiatives. These efforts help us reduce risk, identify new supply opportunities, and stay up to speed on evolving market expectations.

Have Sea Pact projects or resources changed the way you source or evaluate suppliers?

Yes. During internal audits and supplier reviews, Sea Pact’s approach supports me in digging deeper on sourcing and products so I’m considering not just price and reliability, but also each partner’s sustainability practices and the long-term health of the fishery. It’s a constant reminder to ask, “What’s the next step we can take to improve?”

How does collaborating with other member companies add value compared to working independently on sustainability initiatives?

Sea Pact brings like-minded seafood professionals together to share insights and real-world lessons. We exchange sustainability experiences across regions and market segments and identify areas of collective influence that can address improvements we couldn’t achieve alone. The dialogue between members and our advisors is open and practical, allowing us to learn from each other’s successes and challenges in ways that make the entire group stronger.

Can you share an example where Sea Pact’s work introduced you to a new practice, technology, or fishery improvement you might not have pursued otherwise?

I’m still relatively new to Sea Pact, but several initiatives have already caught my attention. One example is the Costa Rica tuna electronic monitoring project, which is piloting cutting-edge technology to improve traceability and ensure on-the-water monitoring. I’m also excited by the mahi and snapper/grouper sourcing data-collection efforts, which help identify fisheries where members can align on targeted sustainability improvements. Beyond specific projects, the regular board and subcommittee meetings have been invaluable since they provide opportunities to exchange ideas, hear lessons learned from other member companies, and explore innovations I might not have come across otherwise.

What emerging challenges or opportunities in seafood sourcing do you think Sea Pact is well positioned to address next?

Sea Pact can play a critical role in scaling efforts such as electronic monitoring and traceability, supporting fishery improvement projects in shared sources, and helping members navigate the growing sustainability requirements of the market. These are areas where collective action will matter more than individual efforts.

What would you tell other seafood buyers who are interested in joining Sea Pact?

I’d say that Sea Pact has deepened my passion for sustainability and given me the chance to collaborate with some of the most forward-thinking people in our industry. You’ll gain knowledge, build relationships, and help drive positive change across the seafood value chain. For anyone who loves seafood and wants to leave the industry better than they found it, it’s an incredibly rewarding community to be part of.