Sainsbury fish counter at a supermarket. (Photo Credit: Sainsbury plc)

New codes to boost seafood labels and sustainable supply

The Sustainable Seafood Coalition (SSC) has announced their two codes of conduct will be launched at the Humber seafood summit –- a gathering of industry representatives -– in Grimsby.

These two codes -- the Voluntary Code of Conduct on Environmental Claims and the Voluntary Code of Conduct on Environmentally Responsible Fish and Seafood Sourcing -- should mean "consumers will be able to shop safe in the knowledge that [sustainability] claims are meaningful and harmonised across products, retailers and brands," the SSC stated.

The former also called ‘labelling code,’ which will be made clear on new packaging, is designed to give consumers certainty about what environmental claims on fish and seafood mean, while the latter – known as the ‘sourcing code’ -- will ensure that retailers and suppliers source their fish and seafood responsibly.

The latter will commit retailers to full traceability to the fishery or aquaculture source on their own-brand seafood for the first time. So if shoppers see a claim such as "responsibly sourced" on a tin, packet or menu, they can find out the origin of the seafood and check that against the minimum criteria set out in the code. If there is any doubt, they can ask an SSC member why they consider it to be "responsibly sourced," The Guardian reported.

SCC informed that the members signing up to the code include Co-operative Food, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose, Lyons Seafoods, New England Seafood, Icelandic Group UK, Young's Seafood, Direct Seafoods and M&J Seafood as well as Feng Sushi and Loch Fyne restaurants.

This new scheme has been supported by the 'Fish Fight' campaign set up by celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who considered this initiative was a major breakthrough.

"I know that huge numbers of consumers want to buy genuinely sustainable seafood – but identifying it can sometimes be a challenge due to a lack of clear information. These codes make it that much easier for shoppers to find responsibly sourced fish. They represent a crucial step in the ongoing battle to ensure all the seafood on our plates is sustainable," The Guardian writer and chef remarked.

Meanwhile, James Thornton, chief executive at activist law firm ClientEarth, pointed out: "People looking for sustainable fish have often had too little information about where their fish and seafood comes from. When we launched the Sustainable Seafood Coalition three years ago, some thought getting so many businesses to agree to codes like this was impossible."

The NGO has criticised the way many retailers make misleading claims about the sustainability of their seafood products. And it explained that some tins of tuna feature "dolphin-friendly" labels when they were caught in areas with no dolphins, masking the fact that the fishing methods used could still harm other species such as turtles and sharks.

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