How can shops and markets help?

There are two main ways that shops and markets can help make London become a Sustainable Fish City:

Serve sustainable fish

Develop a sustainable fish policy. Tell your suppliers that you want to sell only sustainable fish. Sign up to the Sustainable Fish City pledge to make your commitment public, and develop a plan for how you will implement change, with the support of expert organisations.

We recognise that smaller shops and markets may lack the time and resources to develop a sustainable fish policy. For now, please consider signing up to the Sustainable Fish City pledge, and telling us (privately) who you buy your fish from. By going 'upstream' and talking to your supplier, we can help you influence a sustainable fish supply for London, for everyone's benefit.

Promote sustainable fish

Your shop or market can also use this commitment to tell customers about the important issue of sustainable fish and encourage them to make more sustainable choices and to support you in what you have chosen to do. Get in touch to find out more.

Get in touch, and we’ll help you through the process. If you’ve already taken action on sustainable fish, let us know and we’ll feature your story on the website to inspire others to join in. Telephone 020 7837 1228 or email: fish@sustainweb.org

Fish and Chip shops

If you run a fish & chip shop, consider taking part in Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Mackerel Mission. His aim is to get mackerel (a more sustainable species than many white fish) on the menu in fish & chip shops across the UK. As he says, "By offering a more sustainable alternative to the habitual favourite Cod and Chips you will be helping to save our fish."

Find out more about Mackerel Mission at: http://www.fishfight.net/about-mackerel-mission/

You may also be interested in the Good Catch 'Fish & Chip Awards', open to all takeaway fish & chip shops. The Good Catch Award recognises fish & chip shops that have shown initiative in improving the environmentally responsible practices of their business and the seafood that they buy, serve and promote.

What action has been taken by the big supermarkets?

Conservation and consumer organisations regularly survey the leading supermarkets on how well they source, label and promote sustainable fish. The surveys show that the Co-op, M&S, Sainsbury's and Waitrose score consistently highly in surveys by the Marine Conservation Society, Greenpeace and the National Consumer Council (name changed to Consumer Focus, but now disbanded) over several years. Asda, Iceland, Morrisons and Tesco got disappointingly low scores and still have a lot of work to do to help secure a future for sustainable fish. Unfortunately, Aldi, Booths, Budgens, Farmfoods, Lidl, Netto, and Spar all failed to respond to the MCS survey in 2009.

Larger retailers who have taken action. Read details of their commitments here...

   

“If you want to keep selling or serving seafood in the future it is imperative that you look after the present. To blindly take everything that is available without question is a recipe for disaster. We also have a duty to ensure that our children and grandchildren can enjoy the same products as we have enjoyed ourselves.”
Chris Leftwich, Fishmongers' Hall

We're working on it - So can you!