Seafood sustainability: Time for pubs to catch on...

Related tags Overfishing

It would be great to think that it was only the release of the film The End of the Line that heightened public and media interest in the issues...

It would be great to think that it was only the release of the film The End of the Line​ that heightened public and media interest in the issues around fish and seafood sustainability at the start of the summer.

However, it has to be said that the willingness of several celebrities, notably actress Greta Scaachi (pictured), to be photographed naked apart from a strategically placed cod, also helped.

Whatever the reason, the publicty undoubtedly increased the pressure on pubs to take the issue seriously. The film focuses on the sustainability of commercial fisheries and in particular on bluefin tuna.

The problem of depleting fish stocks is described by Charles Clover, author of the book on which the film is based, as "the biggest environmental disaster you've never heard of." Short of mankind leaving the world's oceans alone for a century or two - which might be the only real answer - what can pubs do?

A classic pub menu relies on a narrow range of species - prawns, scampi and battered white fish. One option is to vary the menu far more, offering species caught sustainably, and in season.

M&J Seafood, Brakes Group fish specialist, offers a wide range of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified products, and has an agreement with two Cornish boats - the Charisma and Nova Spero - to take the majority of their catch of British albacore tuna.

Fishing started at the end of June and the season will continue through to early September. Caught off the South West Cornish coast by two local skippers who have the exclusive rights to fish for the species, albacore offers chefs a responsible alternative to bluefin and yellow-fin species.

Comparably meaty in taste and texture, but much lighter in colour and yielding smaller loins, albacore is sometimes referred to as white tuna.

Mike Berthet, group director fish and seafood, comments on the scheme: "We support the Cornish fishermen and their albacore fishery as it both improves the local economy while reducing the carbon footprint of the catch and helps to relieve the pressure on the more common depleting stocks of bluefin."

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