Buyers given ‘one-stop-shop’ for farmed fish facts
Salmon and other farmed fish species that are the most important to the UK market have been profiled in an easy-to-use online tool to provide seafood buyers, especially those new to the industry, with a ‘one-stop-shop’ on aquaculture.
The tool launched by Seafish, the public body that supports the UK seafood industry, debuts with nine profiles, rising to 14 in the coming months.
They offer information on production location and methods with a focus on key environmental issues including farm sites, nutrients, feed, disease and medicines, escapes and introductions, as well as sustainability certifications.
Information on global, third-party certification schemes has been pulled together in the same resource, making it easier for buyers to see what is being done to mitigate environmental and social impacts of aquaculture.
Informed decisions
Lee Cocker, aquaculture manager at Seafish, said: “Seafood buyers have to look hard to find balanced and up-to-date information on aquaculture and we believe this can impact on the purchasing decisions when retailers or wholesalers are deciding which farmed products they want to make available to customers.
“Our hope is that the profiles on this tool will provide anybody interested in aquaculture the information they need to make informed decisions and help dispel some of the common myths about farmed seafood.”
The tool has been widely praised by industry and business, including Direct Seafoods, as a vital pre-competitive resource that will boost the reputation of the aquaculture industry.
Mike Berthet, market development manager EU for the Global Aquaculture Alliance, said: “This is a brilliant example of Seafish helping to educate and inform all those involved in the purchasing and consumption of farmed seafood. It is an excellent resource which helps to simplify the complexities of farmed seafood and dispel the misinformation surrounding aquaculture.”
Seafish will also be showcasing the tool at Aquaculture UK 2018 in Aviemore next week, on stand 289.
The aquaculture profiles are now live at http://seafish.org/aquacultureprofiles/
