ONE of the UK's leading supermarkets, Waitrose has today announced a series of new initiatives which they say are aimed at educating consumers on the importance of sustainable fishing.

As a direct response to pressure on fish stocks, Waitrose will be launching the following four new initiatives relating to sustainable fishing, all of which Waitrose claim are currently unavailable at any other supermarket:

· Phasing out fish caught by Beam Trawling, a method of fishing which Waitrose claims causes disturbance to the ocean bed.This could have major implications for the UK beam trawler fleet, particularly vessels based in South-west England

· Renaming of Skate to Ray for consumer clarity

· Using sustainable sources of feed for all farmed salmon it sells by 2010 and working with the Marine Stewardship Council to establish the world's first MSC accredited feed fishery

· Switching over to mature flat fish across its fresh and breaded range of plaice and lemon sole

Waitrose says the new initiatives highlight its place at the forefront of sustainable fishing.

The move comes as consumers across the country are demanding that the fish in their weekly shop is caught in the most responsible way possible. According to a recent YouGov survey, 75% of people felt retailers should stop selling fish from endangered species and 72% of consumers said they were concerned about fish stocks.

With the government calling on people to eat more fish, and £1.8 billion worth of fish being sold per year in the UK, demands on the fishing industry are set to increase.

Waitrose said it aims to inform consumers about the importance of sustainable fishing and offer guidance on key decisions. The retailer is also working to introduce shoppers to alternative fish options and encourage them to try fish they haven’t sampled before. For example, Waitrose was the first retailer to sell species such as New Forest Barramundi, to act as an alternative to over fished species.

Jeremy Ryland Langley, fish buyer for Waitrose, comments: “We really want to help our customers make informed decisions. Sustainable fishing should be high on customers’ ethical shopping list, in order to protect the fishing industry and ensure diversity of species for future generations. Retailers still have some way to go but we feel this is exciting, positive progress.”

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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