Waitrose sells 12% of the fish bought in British supermarkets so its actions have the potential to significantly influence the seafood market

Waitrose Launches New Responsible Fishing Pledge

British retailer, Waitrose has announced a major pledge to source all its seafood from independently certified sources, with an industry leading deadline of the end of 2016.

The move builds on the long established (15 years) Waitrose Responsible Fish Sourcing Policy. And as well as providing customers with extra assurance that their fish is from responsible sources, it will also enable the retailer to ensure a longer-term guarantee of sustainability in the face of increasing global pressure on fish stocks.

All Waitrose fresh, smoked and breaded cod and haddock will be certified as sustainable by the MSC from 6th May

Jeremy Langley, Waitrose Fish Buyer, says: “For us, this pledge feels like a natural evolution of our long-standing responsible fishing policy. We started to have concerns over stocks of some of our favourite fish in 1997 - we thought this was something we needed to look at so we started work building a policy with our suppliers.

Waitrose Fish Buyer  Jeremy Langley

“Our Waitrose policies have been evolving for more than 15 years, and will continue to evolve. But - with global demand for fish increasing, and the size of our business increasing - we need to ensure we’re putting the right steps in place now if we’re to ensure a sustainable supply of fish in the decades to come.”

Waitrose sells 12% of the fish bought in British supermarkets (Nielsen) - so its actions have the potential to significantly influence the seafood market.

The first major change will be all Waitrose fresh, smoked and breaded cod and haddock, which from 6th May will be certified as sustainable by the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council).

Says Waitrose Fish Buyer Jeremy Langley: “This is a major step in our pledge to become 100% fully certified by 2016. And being two of the ‘big five’ species, cod and haddock account for a significant proportion of our sales so it’s a satisfying step forward.”

Waitrose will source all its seafood from independently certified sources

Toby Middleton, MSC UK Country Manager, says: “This in a hugely significant move by Waitrose and we’re delighted that MSC certified seafood is playing such a key role in help Waitrose achieve their target. By committing to full independent seafood certification by the end of 2016, they are helping to drive the transformation of the seafood market around the world. Cod and haddock are hugely important to British shoppers and, despite the abundance in many stocks, cod is still an iconic poster-child for seafood’s sustainability challenges. By adding MSC certification to all of their fresh, smoked and breaded cod and haddock, Waitrose are helping to drive demand for certified sustainable seafood and, in turn, having a direct impact on improving the sustainability of the worlds’ oceans.”

About Waitrose Limited

Waitrose Limited is an upmarket chain of British supermarkets, forming the food retail division of Britain's largest employee-owned retailer, the John Lewis Partnership.

Its head office is in Bracknell, Berkshire, England. As of February 2012, Waitrose has over 282 branches across the United Kingdom, including 30 "little Waitrose" convenience stores, and a 4.5% share of the market, making it the sixth largest grocery retailer in the UK.

Waitrose has over 282 branches across the United Kingdom

Source: MSC

Address:	Doncastle Road, Southern Industrial Area
City:	Bracknell
State/ZIP:	Berkshire, Egland (RG12 8YA)
Country:	United Kingdom
Phone:	+44 1344 424 680
Fax:	+44 20 7592 6333
E-Mail:	customersupport@waitrose.co.uk
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