According to the MSCs most recent market report, the number of sustainably sourced seafood species on UK supermarket shelves has increased to 49, up from 26 just 10 years ago. The most popular species continue to be salmon, tuna, cod, haddock and prawns although many retailers are bringing in most local species. There has been a 59% increase in the number of MSC-certified shellfish products on shelves with MSC-labelled products now accounting for 54% of the value and 51% of the volume of wild caught fish in UK retailers.
Our thoughts: MSC-labelled products are not the only source of sustainable choices in supermarkets and while there may be an uptick of MSC-certified products on UK supermarket shelves it is also important to factor in other labels and sources of seafood. As we’ve highlighted in many places, not all MSC-certified products can be considered truly sustainable making the label a questionable guage for sustainable seafood products on store shelves in the first place. It continues to be important to look at what is behind the label before making such claims.
