Leonardo DiCaprio has announced an unexpected business move, revealing that he has invested in a frozen seafood company. The Oscar-winning actor said he had decided to back the company, called LoveTheWild, because it deals in sustainable fishing and sells frozen meals made from farm-raised seafood instead of contributing to the over-fishing of wild fish.
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"Estimates show the earth's population approaching nine billion by 2050, putting tremendous pressure on our natural food resources," Leonardo said in a statement confirming the news. "Seafood is a primary source of protein for nearly a billion people – but climate change, acidification and over fishing are putting increased pressure on our oceans' natural stability."
Leonardo DiCaprio has invested in sustainable seafood company LoveTheWild
Leonardo added: "The exploitation of our oceans has left many marine ecosystems on the brink of total collapse, which is hurting our ability to harvest our seas as a reliable food source as we have for thousands of years." The Wolf of Wall Street star explained that LoveTheWild aims to tackle the issue by "empowering people to take action on this crisis in a very meaningful way."
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To ensure the business is environmentally sustainable, LoveTheWild says it only sources four farm-raised species of fish: striped bass, catfish, red trout and barramundi. Labels on the food ensure customers can see exactly where their fish comes from, with meals currently on offer including red trout with salsa verde and catfish with Cajun crème.
The company sources only four species of farm-raised fish
Leonardo has long been passionate about environmental issues, and released the documentary Before the Flood in 2016 to raise awareness on the dangers of global warming. The actor also has his own charity, The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, and previously donated £9.5million to support various environmental projects around the world in 2015, including World Wildlife Fund, Oceans 5, Save the Elephants and National Geographic: Pristine Seas.