November 16/Danvers, MA/Marketwire -- High Liner Foods Inc. appointed Bill DiMento as its corporate director of sustainability.

In this new role, DiMento will oversee all of High Liner Foods' corporate-level sustainability initiatives, ensuring the company is reducing its overall environmental footprint and complying with the strictest standards of seafood procurement. The company will strengthen its commitment to sustainable practices by increasing the amount of products that are certified sustainable and reducing retail package and food waste, as well as lowering energy and water usage.

"As a leader in the frozen seafood industry, High Liner Foods maintains a strong commitment to implementing environmentally sound practices company-wide, and we're pushing sustainability to the forefront of our overall agenda," said High Liner Foods' president and CEO Henry Demone. "Bill DiMento is stepping into this role with nearly 30 years of industry experience behind him, and I am confident that he is in a key position to drive the company's sustainability initiatives to new heights."

High Liner Foods currently works with the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership and suppliers on fishery improvement projects to ensure that High Liner Foods' High Liner, FPI, Fisher Boy and Sea Cuisine brands, as well as its private label portfolios, include certified sustainable products according to standards set by the Marine Stewardship Council and Aquaculture Certification Council. To expand on these initiatives already in place, DiMento will lead a corporate sustainability council dedicated to advancing High Liner Foods' overall environmental objectives.

"High Liner Foods has a long-standing commitment to the ongoing development of sustainability standards for the seafood industry, and I'm honored to play a lead role as we move forward with our goals," said DiMento. "Sustainability is not an option; it's the answer. At High Liner Foods, we are working to ensure our initiatives will impact communities on a local, national and global level. With top-down support from senior management, I'm confident we'll make great strides towards reaching our objectives."

DiMento will report directly to Henry Demone in this new position. During his 22-year tenure with High Liner Foods, DiMento has held key positions including director of Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs, director of International Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs, and most recently, senior director of Manufacturing and Regulatory Affairs. DiMento is a professional member of the Institute of Food Technologies, U.S. Representative to CODEX, and has been named chairman of the NFI Technical Committee. DiMento has been named to the Board of Directors for the International Association of Fish Inspectors and the Atlantic Fisheries Technology Conference.

From the November 23, 2009, Prepared Foods E-dition