Buying standards requiring all government departments and agencies to source all fish from demonstrably sustainable fisheries have been welcomed by the Marine Stewardship Council. The standards – coming into force this autumn – require caterers to ensure that “All fish are demonstrably sustainable with all wild-caught fish meeting the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (includes MSC certification...)"
Government buying standards apply to catering contracts across all central government departments and agencies, including military institutions and prisons. This equates to a total annual commitment by government buyers of £16.1 million per annum to sourcing sustainable fish for meals provided to over 400,000 people (according to Defra estimates)
Toby Middleton, UK country manager for the MSC (pictured) said: “This represents an important recognition by the UK government of the commitments made by stakeholders in certified fisheries across the UK. We warmly welcome this as a positive leadership piece setting an example to the wider market which is showing ever increasing engagement with certification. MSC certification is a rigorous assessment process and these new procurements standards reward the efforts to achieve sustainable practices made by fishermen throughout the country”
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Read this story on the Marine Stewardship Council MSC website
Sustainable Fish: A campaign to protect precious marine environments and fishing livelihoods, and call for fish to be bought from sustainable sources. We want to show what can be done if people and organisations make a concerted effort to change their buying habits.
