New campaign to ‘plaice’ sustainable seafood on city’s menus
Ulster Wildlife • 21 October 2021
An ambitious campaign to create Northern Ireland’s first-ever Sustainable Fish Cities in Belfast and Derry/Londonderry has been launched today, Thursday 21 October, by Ulster Wildlife in partnership with the Belfast Food Network.
Fish City, an iconic seafood restaurant in Belfast’s City Centre, is the first local business to join the campaign committing to buy, serve, and promote only fish from sustainable sources on its menus.
John Lavery, owner of Fish City and recently awarded Northern Ireland’s Marine Stewardship Council’s Hero, said, “From its foundation, Fish City has supported and championed the importance of sustainability and looking after our oceans and the planet. We recognise, that as stewards of this planet, we are at a critical point in our collective ability to halt and eliminate the threats posed by overfishing and climate change.
“Now, more than ever, and before it is too late, we take on this responsibility to ourselves and future generations. Signing this pledge further commits Fish City to continue and improve upon the work we are doing. We are proud that Belfast has taken on the Sustainable Fish Cities challenge, raising awareness amongst residents and visitors, and we hope many more businesses will follow our lead.”
We are proud that Belfast has taken on the Sustainable Fish Cities challenge, raising awareness amongst residents and visitors, and we hope many more businesses will follow our lead.
Any business or organisation that serves fish, from restaurants and retailers to hospitals and educational institutions, can take the pledge and help Belfast and Derry/Londonderry achieve Sustainable Fish City status.
Across the UK, Sustainable Fish Cities, coordinated by Sustain, has racked up an impressive track record of success with 850 million meals served by caterers committing to sustainable fish with 17 cities put on the map, plus Heathrow Airport.
John Lavery, owner of Fish City, in Belfast, joins Gala Podgornik from Ulster Wildlife and Kerry Melville from Belfast Food Network to pledge support to buy, serve and promote sustainable seafood, as part of a new campaign to create Northern Ireland’s first Sustainable Fish Cities in Belfast and Derry/Londonderry.
Less than one-third of UK fish stocks are harvested sustainably, making it more urgent than ever to buy sustainably produced fish to protect our marine ecosystems.
Gala Podgornik, Living Seas Officer at Ulster Wildlife, says, “Increasingly, consumers want to know if the food they are eating is sustainable, without worrying that they are eating a species that is at risk of extinction or fished/farmed using damaging methods. Less than one-third of UK fish stocks are harvested sustainably, making it more urgent than ever to buy sustainably produced fish to protect our marine ecosystems.
“Many local businesses, like Fish City, are already making big steps to change their buying habits towards sustainable seafood. We want to help recognise their efforts and, if enough organisations take the pledge, we can place Belfast and Derry on the sustainable seafood map, supporting the growing Sustainable Fish Cities movement already happening across the UK.”
Businesses who register their interest will receive a FREE toolkit to get started, including a self-audit to conduct, plus sustainable fish-swap guides based on the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide ratings to help determine which seafood to promote and which to avoid.
Once a business signs the pledge and commits to sustainable fish it will be listed and promoted online, on Ulster Wildlife and its partners’ websites, alongside others who are championing Northern Ireland’s seas.
Kerry Melville, from Belfast Food Network, added, “We are delighted to see the Sustainable Fish Cities NI campaign gather momentum in Northern Ireland. The campaign is endorsed by the wider Sustainable Food Places movement, of which the Belfast Food Network is a founding member.”