FISH POLICY

Our aim is to provide good quality fish without compromising our ethics. We have created a set of guidelines that we adopt when purchasing our fish. These guidelines take into account the issues we consider important.

Everything we sell is certified organic but it is difficult to classify any wild fish as organic. As wild migratory creatures it is impossible to know where they have come from and in which seas they have swum. The oceans although huge and difficult to monitor, there are areas of it known to be more heavily polluted than others.

FARMED FISH
• We will only purchase organically fish farmed: Organic fish farms rear fish in non-intensive conditions, where prominence is given to the sustainable use of the environment and the welfare of the fish. The use of synthetic pesticides is prohibited and fish are free of artificial ingredients. Non-organic fish farms tend to rear fish in more intensive conditions and use a range of medicines and chemical therapeutants to maintain the health of the farmed stock.
• We only use organically farmed Salmon and Trout: Wild salmon and trout stocks are severely depleted.

FOOD MILES
We buy our wild-caught fish off the coast of Britain particularly from the South and East coasts of England. We do this to minimise the effects of pollution and to provide much needed employment for the small fishing community is dependent upon fishing for their livelihoods.

Purchasing from distant shores either involves air transportation, which causes pollution or shipping frozen fish, which is detrimental to its quality. As most fisheries certified by the Soil Association or the Marine Stewardship Council are outside the UK, we have decided to only purchase from local UK fisheries.

DECLINING FISH STOCKS
Depleted stocks, over fishing and damage to the marine eco system
Over fishing and destructive commercial fishing methods have resulted in depleted fish stocks throughout our oceans. 70% of the world’s fish stocks are over fished and some stocks are at such low levels they are in danger of collapse. In the North East Atlantic, two thirds of the main commercial fish stocks are outside safe biological limits or heavily over fished. Whilst in the North Sea many once common species such as cod, haddock, skate and plaice are now over fished and in the case of cod, stocks are on the verge of commercial collapse, whilst common skate is virtually extinct.

Of the total world catch, approximately a third is thrown over the side and is never landed. The use of massive trawler nets, which catch everything in their path including marine mammals; they are seriously damaging to marine habitats and species. Commercial fishing also has huge social and economic implications in the UK and throughout the world, destroying small fishing communities that relied upon more sustainable fishing methods.

PURCHASING POLICY
• We only purchase fish caught by sustainable fishing methods
Fish caught by line, pot, creel, divers or the use of hand eliminates waste and enables more targeted or selective fishing, which minimises damage to the marine eco system. Small local fishing boats catch all of our fish. Gill nets are permitted if they specify the use of 'dolphin-friendly' nets only or their used in fisheries where there is no known by catch problem.
• We aim not to purchase juvenile fish or fish below the legal minimum landing size as stipulated by the EU
This enables fish to grow to their maximum capacity
• We don’t purchase fish on the Marine Conservation Society’s ‘fish to avoid’ list. www.fishonline.org (to download copy of list)
• We aim to only purchase fish in season
• We do not purchase fish during their breeding time.
• Our cod comes from the English Channel where stock levels are currently above safe biological limits and managed sustainably
Our suppliers have guaranteed to adhere to these guidelines.

This policy is approved by the Marine Conservation Society, visit their website for further information: www.mcsuk.org