Restaurateurs have backed a report from fish restaurant chain Loch Fyne, which calls on operators to be more responsible and to source sustainable seafood.
Turning the Tide on Sustainability, which was commissioned by Loch Fyne and coincides with its 10th anniversary as a business, says that while progress has been made during the past decade on adopting sustainable practices, more still must be done.
Loch Fyne managing director Mark Derry told Caterersearch that while consumers had a certain amount of responsibility it ultimately remained up to hospitality operators to do their bit.
“Diners come to us to have a good meal, not to have to worry about sustainability, and they should be able to rely on us,” he said.
“Operators need to gain more knowledge and be more demanding on their suppliers. If everyone stops using a supplier who doesn’t use sustainable fish, he’ll eventually go out of business.”
Alison Vickers, business development director at Yo! Sushi agreed. “It’s up to operators to do their bit and ensure they serve fish from sustainable sources.
We have an absolute sustainable fishing policy - all our salmon comes from farms in Scotland and we only serve line-caught yellowfin tuna and no bluefin tuna at all.”
Caroline Bennett, managing director of sushi chain Moshi Moshi agreed the hospitality industry needed to take responsibility, adding that no one should hide behind the “this is what the consumer wants” excuse anymore.
However, she warned that using farmed fish isn’t the way forward and attitudes need to be changed.
“Using farmed fish only exasperates the problem because it interferes with the natural food chain as smaller species are taken out of their natural environment to feed farmed fish,” Bennett said.
“By changing consumer attitudes and making them expect frequently changing menus restaurateurs can serve what is available without letting their diners down.”
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By Kerstin Kühn
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