World Ocean Day
With nearly a third of all monitored global fish stocks overfished and over 60% fished to maximum sustainable yield 1 the decline of our sea life is disastrous for both the oceans and those who rely on the sea for food or income.
In addition to this, oceans play a major role in climate dynamics. They absorb 93% of the heat that accumulates in the Earth’s atmosphere, and a quarter of the carbon dioxide (CO2) released from fossil fuels2. It is clear that climate change is having a profound impact on our oceans and marine life. Its effects are changing the distribution of fish stocks and their food. For this reason, sustainable sourcing of fish and seafood is a key part of our journey to Net Zero.
*We recently launched our commitment to reach Climate Net Zero by 2030, alongside Our Climate Promise and Roadmap , which provides detail on our strategy to achieve a sustainable food system.
We understand that our business is part of a larger system: we rely on a thriving supply chain to help us deliver the high-quality ingredients and goods that our clients and customers expect. Protecting the ocean is essential for this - we continue to promote sustainable and responsibly sourced seafood and do not serve seafood on the fish to avoid list (as defined by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS)). In addition to this, we have a number of restaurants recognised by the Marine Stewardship Council for their sustainability efforts.
We know that cross industry collaboration is essential for the preservation of our planet’s natural resources and we are proud to partner with the Sustainable Seafood Coalition (SSC), to drive forward our commitments in this area.
Participating in the SSC allows us to influence changes in policy relevant to seafood sustainability as well as keep informed on developments in the industry. As part of our commitment to the SSC’s Codes of Conduct, we are required to undertake annual risk assessments on all fisheries that we procure from. These risk assessments consider bycatch and habitat impacts as well as fishing methods and allow us to ensure we are sourcing all our seafood responsibly. We are committed to working side by side our suppliers to deliver a sustainable supply of seafood, for our customers and clients.
1 https://www.wwf.org.uk/what-we-do/addressing-unsustainable-fishing-and-seafood
2 https://www.msc.org/uk/what-we-are-doing/oceans-at-risk/climate-change-and-fishing
