WWF says it launched the new 'Stinky Fish' website "to encourage more shoppers to make the right choices when it comes to fish".

However, it has been accused by UK statutory seafood body, Seafish of using "misleading, inaccurate and out of date information".

The organisation has also been heavily criticised by the trade body Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO) for "confusing, rather than educating" consumers.

Launched last Thursday, the 'Stinky Fish' website features a video in which a puppet questions members of the public as to how the seafood they eat was caught. The video clip concludes with the puppet telling viewers to look for the Marine Stewardship Council label when they are buying seafood. "Everything else is stinky!" it states.

Commenting on the launch, Giles Bartlett, Fisheries Policy Officer at WWF-UK said: "Overfishing is the single biggest threat to our oceans. It is vital that consumers have much better information to help them choose which fish to buy.

"WWF's new 'Stinky Fish' website will provide exactly that. We hope that consumer demand for sustainable seafood and better regulation will transform the most damaging fisheries into ones that we can all buy from with a clear conscience."

However, Phil MacMullen, Seafish Head of Environment, today said that Seafish has been contacted by many representatives of the seafood industry, who are disturbed by the "misleading, inaccurate and out of date information" on the WWF website.

"In particular, we are concerned at the very title of 'Stinky Fish', which revisits an obsolete perception of our progressive industry.

"We will be writing to the UK Chief Executive Officer of the WWF to get the website amended in an attempt to stem the damage being done to relations between the industry and the NGO community."

Meanwhile, the website has also drawn criticism from the aquaculture industry.

One of the questions in a Q&A section on the site - 'Is farmed fish better for the ocean than wild caught?' has the following response: "Very often, farmed fish are NOT a good idea, as they are fed on fish meal made from other fish. In other words, fish farming can be used to conceal unsustainable fishing practices in the wild. Farmed fish can also be more vulnerable to disease; sometimes large quantities of antibiotics are pumped into the water in fish farms."

Commenting, a spokesperson for the SSPO said: "This campaign is designed to confuse, rather than educate. General terms such as ‘often’ and ‘sometimes’ serve to trivialise, and do not help the consumer to make an informed choice.

"The Scottish salmon farming industry has maintained the highest of standards in sustainability over the last 25 years as evidenced through the industry’s many independently audited schemes, most recently the Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture.”

Aquaculture certification body, Friend of the Sea has also spoken out against the campaign.

“Friend of the Sea wishes to clearly distance itself from WWF’s MSC promotion campaign ‘Stinky Fish’, demanding balanced science-based information for consumers, and respect for retailers, seafood industry, fisheries, aquaculture producers and for other certification schemes,” director, Dr Paolo Bray said.

“Friend of the Sea is the only international scheme for both wild-caught and farmed seafood. It is fully compliant with FAO guidelines and minimum requirements. Friend of the Sea and companies whose products are Friend of the Sea certified should be respected by WWF and MSC as they are FAO compliant, recognised and respected by retailers and the seafood industry.”

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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