No word about Kaichuang’s Spanish operations as it flies face masks to Greece

One of China’s leading fishery companies has sent a shipment of medical masks to Greece through its Greek shipping partner as part of a major Chinese effort to show solidarity with southern Europe.

Shanghai Kaichuang Marine International sent 50,000 surgical masks on a mercy Air China flight to Athens, organized through the China office of the Laskaridis Foundation. The foundation is run by the Greek family of the same name, which also owns Laskaridis Shipping, an Athens-based management company with a fleet of reefer ships, petrol tankers and dry bulk carriers, as well as marine terminals.

“Kaichuang has cooperated closely with Laskaridis since we started to focus on distant-water fishing,” a statement from the state-owned Chinese company said.

Kaichuang hasn’t said whether it has sent masks or other personal protective equipment to Spain, where it owns a canning company, Conservas Albo. Spain has been one of the countries hit hardest by the coronavirus crisis. The company issued a note to investors this week warning about the impact of a prolonged shutdown of the Spanish economy on its operations, even though tuna canners are in the Spanish government’s classification of “essential services” and thus entitled to remain open and operate as normal. Tinned fish has been in demand across Europe as householders stockpile non-perishable food products.

Kaichuang’s parent company, Shanghai Fishing Group Co., ranked 30th in the World Benchmarking Alliance’s 2018 list of the top 30 most influential seafood companies. In its write-up, the group called for the company to offer more details on its environmental and social impacts where it operates.

“Though one of the largest seafood companies operating worldwide, SFGC does not disclose any of the basics of an approach to seafood stewardship,” it said. “As such, interested stakeholders lack any understanding of the risks that the company is exposed to on social and environmental issues.”

Kaichuang’s Greek partner, Laskaridis, has funded environmental protection works through the Laskaridis Foundation, provides clean water to refugee camps in Greece.