17 London Boroughs take action on sustainable fish

Camden, Havering, Islington and Richmond top good fish league table, whilst 16 Boroughs fail to take action

	Borough taking at least two significant steps to support sustainable fish
	Borough taking one significant step to support sustainable fish
	Borough taking none of the significant action below on sustainable fish*

* Let us know if you think things have improved in your Borough. We will update the map as more action happens

The Good Food for London report, published this week (November 21, 2011 [1]), praises four London Boroughs – Camden, Havering, Islington and Richmond-upon-Thames – for “leadership on sustainable fish”. The report, which audits action taken by London Boroughs to promote healthy and sustainable food, shows these boroughs buy sustainable fish for school meals, and promote Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified sustainable fish to school children through the MSC’s Fish and Kids project [2]. This helps to preserve and protect precious fish stocks for future generations to enjoy.

A further 13 London Boroughs out of the total of 33 were praised for “taking at least one significant step to support sustainable fish” [3]. Unfortunately, the remaining 16 Boroughs did not appear to be taking any significant steps to buy or promote sustainable fish [4].

“London Borough Councils buy a lot of fish to be served in schools, hospitals, council offices and at events,” said Jon Walker, coordinator of the Sustainable Fish City campaign that aims for all fish bought and eaten in London to be from sustainable sources [5]. “Millions of pounds of our money are spent on fish every year by London Boroughs, and surveys indicate that the majority of Londoners care deeply about the future of fish and precious marine life. So London Boroughs are well placed to make a significant difference with their fish-buying policies. It is inspiring to see that half of Boroughs are already taking at least some action, but there is still a long way to go.”

“London spends over £1 billion on fish every year, which is a vital opportunity to invest in sustainable fishing practices and support those fishermen who are doing their best to fish sustainably,” said Kath Dalmeny, who worked with marine conservation organisations to help the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games organisers adopt their fully sustainable fish policy and now coordinates the Food Legacy programme inspired by London 2012’s Food Vision [6]. “If all London Boroughs pledged to serve only sustainable fish, what a fantastic legacy that would be from London’s hosting of the 2012 Games. Fish stocks can recover if they are managed sustainably and if major fish buyers such as London Boroughs buy only verifiably sustainable fish. London Boroughs pledging to use sustainable fish would be a clear signal to fishermen that their investment in sustainable fishing methods is worthwhile, to promote good fishing livelihoods for years to come.”

The Sustainable Fish City campaign is calling on London Boroughs to stop serving endangered fish, promote the best of sustainable fish (including MSC certified fish, and particularly in schools), and to work with their suppliers to improve the rest. These principles have already been adopted by the Olympic and Paralympic Games organisers for the 14 million to be served at the London 2012 Games and by many of London’s institutions, restaurants and caterers.

Media enquiries: Jon Walker, tel: 0203 5596 777, email: fish@sustainweb.org

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Notes to editors

1. The Good Food for London report is published by London Food Link (www.londonfoodlink.org, a project of Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming), a network of people and organisations working to promote healthy and sustainable food for London, with support from independent organisations that promote healthy and sustainable food, members of the London Food Board and the Chair of the London Food Board, Rosie Boycott. The Good Food for London report can be downloaded at www.sustainweb.org/londonfoodlink/good_food_for_london/, where maps comparing London Borough progress on key food issues can be explored online (see thumbnail of fish map, below – higher resolution version and a key to this map also available for download at: www.sustainweb.org/londonfoodlink/2011_london_borough_action_on_sustainable_fish/).
2. Fish and Kids is an educational project run by the Marine Stewardship Council, designed to promote sustainable seafood in schools. Contact Ruth Westcott, ruth.wescott@msc.org, see: www.fishandkids.org
3. Boroughs “taking at least two significant steps to support sustainable fish” were: Camden, Havering, Islington and Richmond-upon-Thames (noting that Islington and Richmond also came out top on a number of other healthy and sustainable food issues in the Good Food for London audit, and that Havering’s procurement team also helps other boroughs to buy fish sustainably through collaborative procurement contracts). Boroughs “taking at least one significant step to support sustainable fish” were: Barking & Dagenham, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, Kingston-upon-Thames, Merton, Redbridge, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and Westminster (see map, above).
4. Boroughs “not yet taking significant action to support sustainable fish” were: Barnet, Bexley, Brent, City of London, Ealing, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark, Wandsworth (see map, above).
5. See the Sustainable Fish City website at: www.sustainablefishcity.net. The Sustainable Fish City campaign is calling on London Boroughs to pledge to stop serving endangered fish, promote the best of sustainable fish (including MSC certified fish), and work with their suppliers to improve the rest. These principles have already been adopted by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games for the 14 million meals to be served at the Games. With the support of Sustainable Fish City, many more organisations have joined in, with pledges from Whitehall, government departments, the Greater London Authority, London Metropolitan Police, Transport for London, the London Fire Brigade and City Hall, as well as 15 top London universities (with over 200,000 students and staff), the National Trust, Sealife London Aquarium, major employers, numerous leading restaurants and chains, some of the biggest caterers in the UK, and several smaller ones, together serving well over 100 million meals a year. See a full list of Sustainable Fish City pledge signatories at: www.sustainweb.org/sustainablefishcity/whos_working_on_it/
6. Read the London 2012 Food Vision at: http://www.london2012.com/documents/locog-publications/food-vision.pdf. Read more about London 2012’s sustainable fish commitments and the important influence that this is having on catering standards at: www.sustainweb.org/sustainablefishcity/news_olympic_fish/. See the website of the Food Legacy programme website at: www.foodlegacy.org, which encourages more caterers to follow the healthy and sustainable food standards adopted by London 2012.
7. The Minister for Food and Agriculture Jim Paice MP has stated the UK Government’s support for Sustainable Fish City, also saying that fish buying rules adopted by government in June 2011 (which adopted the same standards as London 2012 and Sustainable Fish City) are intended to “send a clear message to the wider public sector to take the same action”.