Sainsbury's to sell only sustainable salmon

Published on Tuesday 10 June 2008 21:05

SAINSBURY'S will today pledge to source all of its farmed salmon from sustainable stocks in Scotland which meet high animal welfare standards.

The supermarket, which accounts for 27 per cent of UK salmon sales, has signed the contract with Marine Harvest Scotland, which will supply around 12,000 tonnes of fish each year.

All of the farms from which the salmon will be sourced meet the standards of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).

The salmon, which goes on sale this week, will be accompanied by a Jamie Oliver television advert, being shown today.

Sainsbury's has committed itself to sourcing all of the five best-selling fish – cod, haddock, salmon, tuna and prawns – from sustainable sources by 2010.

Justin King, Sainsbury's chief executive, said: "We sell the most salmon out of any retailer in the UK, so focusing on this first will make a significant difference".

Alice Clark, an RSPCA farm animal scientist, said: "This is a big leap forwards for salmon farmed to higher welfare standards. The standards require appropriate space for the fish to swim in and ensure they are handled, transported and killed humanely."

Steve Bracken, business development manager at Marine Harvest Scotland, said: "We have done business with Sainsbury's up to now but this is a big change for us. This is helping to secure jobs in remote fragile areas. The producing farms for Sainsbury's are up to the RSPCA's standard and we will work towards gaining approvals for other farms."