Tree quarters of people surveyed want to know if their fish is sourced sustainably
Source: Written by Emily Allen, for The Mail
Supermarkets have been criticized for using ‘meaningless’ and ‘unhelpful’ labels on the fish they sell.
Consumer watchdog Which? claims labels on fish sold in some supermarkets don’t give shoppers the right information about how and where their fish is caught.
It comes despite research which shows more than three quarters of people surveyed want to know if fish is sourced sustainably.
Consumer watchdog Which? claims labels on fish, like tuna, pictured, sold in supermarkets are misleading and aren’t giving shoppers the right information
The watchdog, which has called for clearer labeling, said that many brands and supermarkets, including Asda and Morrisons, label their tinned tuna ‘Dolphin friendly’ - but Which? said this is ‘usually irrelevant’.
Most tinned tuna is Skipjack tuna which don’t swim with dolphins and it’s only an issue for yellowfin tuna from the Eastern Pacific, where the two species swim together.
In addition, the investigation found some tuna which claim to be ‘dolphin friendly’ is caught using large nets which can result in other species being caught.
John West said the plan to move to 100 percent ‘line and pole’ tuna, which is friendlier, in the next few years.
It said the logos on the packaging don’t consider whether tuna is from over-exploited stocks.
Which? said tuna sold by John West, Morrisons and Princes don’t specify how their tuna was caught.
Meanwhile, it said all pre-packed cod was labeled as coming from the North East Atlantic, like the North Sea. However, parts are overfished and unless the cod is labeled as MSC-certified it is not possible to tell if it’s sustainable.
Marks & Spencer, Tesco, The Co-op and Sainsbury’s have the most sustainably-caught fish, according to the investigation.
Marine charities said the findings show that it is difficult for shoppers to know what they are buying.
Eighty percent of Europe’s wild fish are believed to be overfished or depleted.
A Which? spokesman said: ‘Whole and filleted fish in the EC must be labeled with the fish’s commercial name, whether it’s farmed or wild and the area it was caught.
‘Information on the specific area the fish occupies or the method of catch aren’t required - but these details tell you if it’s sustainable or not.’
The spokesman added: ‘Labeling has improved since we last looked at fish sustainability two years ago. But some products still don’t carry enough information to allow consumers to make sustainable choices.’
‘Which? would like retailers and brands to use consistent and reliable certification schemes, such as the Marine Stewardship Council and the recently launched Aquaculture Stewardship Council scheme for farmed fish, to help shoppers recognize sustainable products at a glance.’
Morrisons said it is trying to improve its labeling while Lidl said it is changing it cod packaging with details about where the fish is caught.
Princes, Morrisons and John West said the plan to move to 100 percent ‘line and pole’ tuna, which is friendlier, in the next few years.
Meanwhile, Asda said it is ‘committed to ensuring’ that the food it sells is ‘sustainably sourced’.