Restaurant chains throughout the UK have come under fire this week as ratings show their fish to be unsustainable. A survey was conducted by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in collaboration with Fish2fork – an international online restaurant guide – assessing the sustainability of seafood served in some of the biggest chain restaurants. Several were found to be culprits of being unclear and unforthcoming as to the origins of their seafood.
Bella Italia, Ask, Harvester and Frankie & Benny’s were just a few to be named as those with the lowest rating, indicating their seafood dishes, such as sea bass, king prawn and cod, are from overfished areas or sources the MSC advises to “avoid”.
Pret a Manger and Yo! Sushi however were given a high rating demonstrating an “excellent” understanding and provision of seafood sustainability by Fish2forks requirements. This goes some way to demonstrating a current movement throughout the UK, evidencing that people care about where their seafood is coming from. MSC’s aim to make the UK the first sustainable seafood nation in the world only further supports and substantiates the study’s findings.
Photo credit: Linda Tanner
Despite the lack of attention from organisations like Fish2fork, here in Asia, demand for sustainable seafood is growing. More people are gaining an understanding of how important it is to know where your seafood comes from, both for their own health, and for that of the environments’. Festivals like the Kin Hong Seafood Festival are servicing that demand by actively helping restaurants source from sustainable fisheries and in turn, getting the consumers the sustainable seafood they want. This November, over 40 restaurants have pledged to serve at least one sustainably sourced seafood dish, in order to protect our waters, support the fishing industry and raise awareness. You can help by spreading the word and staying sustainable!
