Lack of inspiration leads to consumers sticking with endangered fish
Release date: 02 Aug 2007
New statistics show that UK consumers stick to the same fish when buying in-store or going out to restaurants. By doing this, they unwittingly put pressure on stocks of their favourite fish...
New statistics show that UK consumers stick to the same fish when buying in-store or going out to restaurants. By doing this, they unwittingly put pressure on stocks of their favourite fish.
Over 70% of all sales of seafood in the UK are of five species; Cod, Salmon, Haddock, Prawns and Tuna. This increases the pressure on these stocks and with fully sustainable stocks accounting for only 25% of seafood fished in the UK, a lot of damage is still being done.
Eighty per cent of the 1200 consumers recently surveyed by Seafish Marketing say they are aware of over fishing as an issue. However, 64% also say they would be prepared to try something new in order to protect their favourites. So what is stopping them?
Loch Fyne Restaurants believes consumers are not being inspired to cook or try different fish by sources such as restaurants, magazines or celebrity cookbooks.
To help address this issue, Loch Fyne Restaurants has today launched “The Alternatives” range. Customers visiting Loch Fyne restaurants will be able to try specially created new dishes featuring Pollack, Whiting, and Red Gurnard.
These dishes will be offered to customers in all Loch Fyne Restaurants from 27 July 2007. Visitors to the restaurants are encouraged to try one of the new menu options to ease pressure on stocks of their favourites.
Mark Derry, Chief Executive of Loch Fyne Restaurants, said:
“People tend to be unadventurous when it comes to fish which puts more popular species under pressure. We have created some great dishes featuring some less well-known fish from sustainable resources to try to change this mindset. If we help our customers discover a broader range of fish it may go some way to help keep stocks sustainable.”
“The Alternatives” will be available at all Loch Fyne Restaurants from 27 July 2007, from the new sites at St Albans and Knutsford to more established sites such as Covent Garden and Bath.
Fish lovers who want to have a go at cooking Pollack, Whiting, and Red Gurnard to ease pressure on stocks of their favourites can log onto the www.lochfyne.com for recipe ideas. A full list of the locations offering “The Alternatives” can also be found at the website.
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
About Loch Fyne Restuarants
Loch Fyne Restaurants works with environmental bodies such as the Marine Conservation Society and the Marine Stewardship Council to keep abreast of the latest data and act accordingly. The fish for “The Alternatives” campaign will all be sourced from the UK coast and from sustainable sources.
Loch Fyne Restaurants will not serve fish from endangered stocks and ensures that the products used in the restaurants derive from a sustainable resource, either wild or farmed responsibly. The company will also not source fish from deep-sea trawlers due to the damage this can have on other species (by-catch) and on the sea-bed itself. White fish is bought mainly from day fishing boats that return daily with their catch. This ensures that it is not only as fresh as possible but also satisfies the need for traceability – it is possible to check exactly where, when and how the fish are caught.
Every care is taken to ensure that all products and ingredients used at Loch Fyne Restaurants are derived from wild, free range or a sustainable resource.
A special focus of attention for Loch Fyne is environmental welfare and the company has a reputation as a pioneer in marine protection working closely with organisations that monitor and protect fish species. The oysters and mussels come from beds and ropes in the pure waters of Loch Fyne, whilst the salmon is sourced mainly from an award-winning farm in Loch Duart – the first to receive RSPCA freedom food accreditation for its animal welfare and quality of produce.
For further press information, contact:
Shaheena Sachedina on 020 7403 2230