Lidl Ireland has committed to providing 100% sustainably sourced fish through its network of stores across Ireland by the end of 2019.
33% of global fisheries have been fished beyond sustainable limits due to overfishing and illegal fishing, as the global population and demand for fish continue to grow.
Lidl’s decision to commit to sustainably sourced fish comes as consumers have become increasingly aware of environmental and social issues in food supply chains and are adjusting their shopping habits to be more responsible.
”Safeguarding fish stocks for the future is an issue we are passionate about at Lidl and we are proud to be leading the way in the Irish retail market with our commitments,” Liam Casey, commercial director at Lidl Ireland said.
“Our sustainable fish sourcing policy underlines our commitment to responsible sourcing through our certifications as well as our support for Irish Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) with Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM).
Certified & Sustainable
At present, 80% of wild-caught chilled and frozen fish available at Lidl Ireland is certified to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC*) standard.
65% of Lidl's fish is sourced from independently certified sustainable fisheries, which will increase to 100% by the end of 2019.
Already, 100% of Lidl's canned tuna is responsibly sourced using either the pole and line fishing method, FAD-free (Fish Aggregating Devices) fishing methods or is MSC certified.
“It is fantastic to see such strong commitment to providing customers in Ireland with 100% certified sustainable seafood,” George Clark, Senior Commercial Manager UK & Ireland at the Marine Stewardship Council, said.
“By offering a wide range of sustainable species and 80% of their current chilled and frozen wild range being MSC certified, Lidl is already providing consumers with an excellent choice when in store. By choosing products with the MSC logo, Lidl shoppers are helping protect our oceans for future generations.”
Lidl also revealed that it joined the Global Ghost Gear Initiative, a global cross-sectoral alliance committed to driving solutions to the problem of lost, abandoned and otherwise discarded fishing gear (also known as ghost gear), which accounts for about 10% of plastic pollution in the sea.
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
