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Steps towards improving seafood sustainability

The steps described here, shaped by leading environmental organisations and businesses, provide a clear path to help you advance the sustainability of seafood you buy, serve and promote.

Step 1: Gather Information to understand the sustainability of seafood you currently serve.

Step 2: Source sustainably by choosing to:

• Avoid the Worst: those red-rated as 5 by the Marine Conservation Society - MCS
• Promote the Best: those certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council - MSC - or green-rated 1 or 2 by the Marine Conservation Society - MCS
• Improve the Rest: those amber-rated 3 or 4 by the Marine Conservation Society - MCS

Step 3: State your commitment with a publicly available policy.

Step 4: Communicate clearly with customers and your whole team.

Step 5: Influence wider progress by encouraging others to join your seafood sustainability journey.

The ocean and us

The seas and oceans cover two-thirds of our planet's surface and can be up to seven miles deep. These immense, often unseen, bodies of water are vital to the health of our planet. They have many natural functions, including climate regulation, oxygen generation, food supply, and not least, they provide a home to some of the world's biggest and smallest forms of life.

As demand for seafood continues to grow, along with the planet's human population, production from wild-capture fisheries and (more recently) the amount of seafood produced in farms has also grown. However we are increasingly aware of the damage that can be inflicted upon the environment by some of these practices and the need for sustainable solutions.

Purchasing has power; demand for ethical products continues to grow and sourcing responsibly helps ensure that you and your customers can enjoy a diverse array of seafood, now and into the future. By doing so you are helping to protect the marine environment and the livelihoods of those who rely on it.

Go to Step 1: Gather Information