Leveraging the Atlantis Atlas Project that it had launched as a part of its responsible tourism initiatives, Atlantis Dubai is set to commemorate the project’s third anniversary with a pledge to achieve 100 pc seafood tracking in partnership with Seafood Souq.

World Oceans Day 2024 on June 8, marks the third anniversary of Atlantis Dubai’s sustainability initiative, Atlantis Atlas Project. 

As part of celebrating all the milestones achieved, the ultra-luxury hotel Atlantis Dubai has announced a partnership with UAE-based Seafood Souq. 

In a press statement, the ultra-luxury hotel in Dubai says that Seafood Souq focuses on establishing transparency in the seafood supply chain, the first of its kind in the region, by tracking every stage from sea to serving.

According to Atlantis, this tracking offers deeper insights into where and how each seafood item is sourced across all restaurants at Atlantis Dubai, ensuring all global and local suppliers provide adequate information.

The statement adds that Seafood Souq was one of the 2022-23 awardees of the Atlantis Atlas Project USD 1 contribution programme, which strategically selects initiatives that support conservation and sustainability. For every marine animal experience participated in by a guest, Atlantis Dubai contributes USD 1 into local and international conservation and sustainability projects every year.

According to Atlantis, its USD 1 contribution programme has so far raised over USD 250,000. Seafood Souq used the awarded funds to develop its SFS Trace technology in partnership with Atlantis Dubai, resulting in a digital impact dashboard that captures traceability data and insights across all seafood procurement for the destination.  

The statement adds that Seafood Souq’s Trace technology and impact dashboard was implemented at Atlantis Dubai in August 2023, with an audit taking place every quarter to ensure that all suppliers are onboarded and provide the required data into the platform. 

The audits provide an in-depth review of the destination’s procurement impact, empowering management with information to drive and achieve positive change. 

Atlantis says that in December 2023, 68.7 pc of total seafood items across Atlantis, the Palm and Atlantis the Royal were traceable, reaching 90 pc by March 2024. The goal is to achieve 100 pc application of traceability technology across all seafood products served within the destination, which Atlantis Dubai aims to achieve by December 2024, ensuring that all suppliers disclose information and obtain adequate documentation.

The statement says that visibility is just the first step for Atlantis Dubai to continue making environmentally impactful decisions in the future. In the short term, this means the destination can choose to work with more responsible suppliers, and in the long term, guests will be able to discover a seafood’s traceability score by scanning a QR code in each restaurant.

“We are proud to partner with Atlantis on this pioneering initiative, a first for the region. Traceability of seafood supply chains is crucial for food safety and ocean protection. Atlantis and Seafood Souq share common values in sustainability, in line with Dubai’s sustainable tourism targets and the UAE’s commitments to the global community. As a UAE technology company, we are excited to bring our innovation from the region to the world,” says Fahim Al Qasimi, Co-Founder and Executive Chairperson, Seafood Souq.

“At Atlantis Dubai, as we are home to 65,000 marine animals, one of our key sustainability pillars focuses on marine conservation. Through the collaborative efforts of our Procurement and Culinary teams, together with Seafood Souq, we are proud to have developed this innovative SFS Trace system,” says Kelly Timmins, Director of Marine Animal Operations and Sustainability, Atlantis Dubai.

“This is the first step in our sustainable seafood journey, which now enables us to make more responsible choices. We look forward to continually improving as part of our commitment to do business in ways that are good for both people and the planet,” Timmins adds.

The statement adds that to celebrate the three-year achievements of Atlantis Atlas Project, for every marine animal experience participated in by a guest on June 8-9, Atlantis Dubai will double its USD 1 contribution on the day to support future projects that make measured impacts on conservation, education and society.