The supermarket has signed up to WWF's Seafood Charter, committing to only use Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fish stocks where available and use the most sustainably sourced seafood where no MSC-certified supplies are on offer. M&S has committed to ensure all wild fish are from MSC or sustainable sources by 2012 and that all farmed fish are from MSC or sustainable sources by 2015.

Under the agreement, WWF will also undertake a two-year project to assess the sustainability of M&S' seafood supply chain and make recommendations on areas for improvement.

A WWF spokeswoman said that the organisation was already in advanced talks with other supermarkets and was looking to sign up further retailers to the charter in the coming months. She added that as part of the campaign, the group was also seeking to promote wider adoption of a fisheries conservation credit scheme that has been trialled in Scotland over the past few years and has already resulted in improvements in fish stocks.

"Fishermen who agree to fish sustainably by using more selective gear that results in fewer discards, leaving an area where there are juvenile fish, or submitting to tighter monitoring of their catches, are rewarded with slightly increased quotas," she explained. "They are allowed to take more fish, but it is from the right stocks and as a result stocks are already showing signs of recovery."

M&S has committed to ensure all wild fish are from MSC or sustainable sources by 2012 and that all farmed fish are from ASC or sustainable sources by 2015

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