Marks & Spencer and Waitrose were rated 'the best of the bunch' by the Which? survey. (Photo: Waitrose)

British consumers confused by labelling: survey

The majority of British consumers want to buy sustainably sourced fish and seafood but are confused by the labels and information retailers offer, according to consumer watchdog Which?.

The organisation’s new report and survey reveals that the UK's supermarkets must up their efforts to help consumers comprehend how to shop to help protect the world's endangered stocks.

Eighty per cent of the fish and seafood sold in the UK is purchased from supermarkets, so retailers have an enormous influence on consumer choice and consequently fish stocks.

Nearly 90 per cent of fish stocks in European waters are overfished. The United Nations (UN) said 71-78 per cent of all stocks are fully exploited, overexploited or significantly depleted, The Guardian reports.

To be published on Thursday, the Which? survey informs that 70 per cent of fish consumers "always or sometimes" attempt to purchase sustainable fish.

However, Watch? warns that packaging information on catch methods and origins is frequently "far too vague."

"Supermarkets aren't making it easy for [consumers] to understand how to shop sustainably," it reads.

It also reveals that 80 per cent of shoppers want supermarkets to only sell fish from sustainable sources.

The report called retailers Marks & Spencer and Waitrose "the best of the bunch."

It also questioned Sainsbury's decision to sell tuna that is not pole and line caught in its sandwiches and sushi, while all its tinned tuna is pole and line caught, which is not as harmful for dolphins and other marine animals.

Sainsbury's said it was modifying this policy to make all the tuna in its sandwiches and sushi pole and line caught by the end of the year.

After identifying seven different labels – such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Fish for Life and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' (RSPCA) Freedom Food -- the report by Which? also urged a more standardised approach to certification from industry bodies.

But it is difficult for retailers and manufacturers to label all the fish they sell and especially fresh fish, industry experts claim.

"Some fisheries don't lend themselves to the process and others may not want to pay the often high costs of certification," explained Philip MacMullen, head of environment at industry body Seafish.

On a separate note, Ethical Consumer magazine this Monday is asking consumers to boycott tuna sandwiches from four of the UK's biggest sandwich retailers --  Boots, Greggs, Subway and Tesco -- to help protect threatened sharks and turtles.

The magazine said the fishing methods used by these companies to catch the skipjack tuna in their sandwiches causes the annual death of thousands of sharks, turtles and other marine life.

"People will be shocked to learn that their favourite tuna sandwich results in the slaughter of thousands of sharks, turtles and other marine wildlife. We want companies to follow the lead of [Marks & Spencer] and only use pole and line caught tuna in their sandwiches," declared Jane Turner from Ethical Consumer magazine.

Related articles:

- Survey ranks green standards of UK supermarkets
- Unilever, M&S praised for sustainability

By Natalia Real
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

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