John West owner MW Brands has joined forces with conservation charity WWF to form a long-term sustainable seafood partnership.
Under the arrangement, all MW Brands products sold in Europe will now be sourced from Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified fisheries or farms, or from those engaged in fishery improvement or conservation projects designed to bring them up to MSC/ASC standards.
MW Brands CEO Elizabeth Fleuriot said the company was “committed to minimising negative impacts on our oceans and endangered species” in order to keep fish stocks at sustainable levels. “The challenge we have set ourselves is to continue to improve the ecological and social footprint of our well-loved brands such as John West and Petit Navire. I am confident that our partnership with WWF will allow us to do this.”
The collaboration with WWF also commits MW Brands to advocate the elimination of illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, and to undergo research and monitoring to ensure the sustainability of inshore fisheries, including migratory tuna.
“With more than 250 million people earning a living from fishing and 1 billion relying on fish as their primary source of protein, the world needs to be sourcing seafood sustainably and responsibly,” said WWF CEO David Nussbaum.
“Working with MW Brands, we have a great opportunity to drive large-scale, positive change.”
Greenpeace has dismissed John West’s tie-up with the WWF as “green spin”, and criticised the supplier for not abandoning the use of fish aggregating devices.
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