M&J SEAFOOD has joined forces with the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to provide a first for the food service industry by publishing a comprehensive guide to seafood products from the most responsible and certified sustainable sources.
M&J Seafood’s Safely Sourced Seafood List is a groundbreaking initiative, the first of its kind to provide a one-stop solution for the growing number of caterers looking to serve sustainable products. Over 300 fresh, frozen and chilled responsibly sourced fish and/or seafood lines supplied by M&J Seafood are included on the list, which is underpinned by the two leading marine conservation charities, MCS and MSC.
The idea behind the project is that it will empower the fast-growing number of chefs looking to offer responsible menu choices, making it easy for them to be part of the UK’s top restaurant sustainability initiatives – Fish2fork, Sustainable Fish City and the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
Compiled by M&J Seafood and pledged to undergo an annual third party traceability audit, the List features fish and seafood that are rated 1 to 3 by the MCS, or certified sustainable to the MSC’s environmental standard. This means that the caterer can easily choose, and be reassured that the products they buy are from source fisheries and farms that present a low risk of having a damaging and long lasting impact on the marine environment.
“For us, making sound choices is not just a matter of doing the right thing for the future of our seas; it’s about doing the right thing for our customers and their customers,” explains M&J Seafood’s Director of Fish & Seafood, Mike Berthet. ”We are totally committed to keeping a close eye on the world’s fish stocks and sustainable practices, and to supplying the best of the world’s catch from well-managed fisheries and farms.That is why we have decided to take a two-pronged approach, demonstrating our commitment to this important issue while creating a constantly updated list of safely sourced seafood to help our customers make informed menu decisions. We have made it easy for caterers to bring sustainable choices to the menu so that we can all play our part in this significant global issue.”
Samuel Stone, MCS Fisheries Officer, says: “Sourcing sustainable seafood can be complicated. Seafood is one of the most internationally traded commodities and there is a range of factors to consider, depending on how and where the seafood was caught or farmed. This complexity has been a major hurdle, preventing restaurants making sustainable seafood choices. This new collaborative initiative encompasses advice and recommendations from the leading UK environmental charities working with the sector, and makes it simple for any business to source seafood from the most responsible or certified sustainable sources. Ultimately, demand for sustainable seafood will pay dividends for both the seafood industry and the marine environment.”
George Clark, MSC UK Commercial Manager, says: “As a former chef it’s fantastic to see such a positive step being taken by M&J Seafood in pro-actively encouraging and enabling chefs and restaurateurs to source sustainable fish and seafood. It’s sometimes a struggle to navigate all the advice out there and make the right sustainable decisions for your menu. With M&J Seafood’s Safely Sourced Seafood List all the hard work has been done for you and with the range of MSC products on the list it’s a great way to get the MSC eco-label on your menu too.”