Some of the UK’s biggest supermarkets are not offering enough sustainably caught fish, despite soaring demand from consumers, according to new research published on Friday, The Guardian reports.
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) said
the availability of certified fish was at record levels but pointed out a
growing gap between supermarkets in terms of how many products they stocked.
Sainsbury’s, which has topped the MSC’s
table since 2010, sold 163 certified products over the last financial year,
almost twice the 79 products sold by its closest competitor Waitrose and more
than three times the amount stocked by Marks & Spencer.
However, Tesco (with nearly a quarter of
the certified fish market) increased its product line by just one, from 17 to
18, since 2010, while Morrisons dropped theirs from 12 to eight and Asda cut
theirs from 27 to 21. The popular German discounter Lidl – which at Christmas
put on sale the cheapest oysters on the high street (farmed through a Scottish
co-operative), languishes at the bottom of the table, with only seven
sustainable products ands just 3.7 percent of the market.
The MSC said its data suggested that
sustainably fished popular species such as cod, haddock, tuna and prawns were
making their way on to UK supermarket shelves in record numbers, driven by the
progress made by the leading retailers.
More than one million tonnes of
MSC-certified cod alone was caught globally last year, up from 500,000 tonnes
in 2010, it said. MSC-certified sales of the UK’s most popular species had
increased 300 percent in two years, and its distinctive blue eco-label now
appears on more than 25,000 tonnes of cod, haddock, tuna and prawns in the UK.
The MSC said growth reflected the increasing number of MSC-certified
sustainable fisheries.
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A survey for the MSC last year found that
71 percent of UK consumers thought it important for supermarkets to sell
sustainably caught seafood.
MSC senior UK manager Toby Middleton said:
“We know that consumers expect sustainable seafood choices in their
supermarkets but not all supermarkets are making it easy for their customers.
UK shoppers expect sustainability built into their purchase, regardless of
their price point. Sainsbury’s has already shown that price need not be a
barrier to sustainability, with even their Basics fish fingers MSC certified,
at 65p a pack. It’s time for the other retailers to step up to the mark.
“Safeguarding the world’s oceans is essential
if we are to maintain healthy fish populations, economies and ecosystems. By
choosing MSC labelled fish and seafood, shoppers are helping to transform the
way the oceans are fished. Only through the blue MSC ecolabel can consumers be
sure that what they choose to put on their plate will be from an MSC certified
sustainable fishery. Sainsbury’s and Waitrose recognise the value of
third-party labelling that consumers can trust. Others must follow their lead
if they want to maintain growth in market share over the long term.
“Claiming to source MSC certified seafood
isn’t enough if shoppers can’t see the label on packs. If it doesn’t say MSC
certified on the packet, it isn’t MSC certified in the packet.”
Read the article HERE.
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