The charity Open Seas recently filed a complaint against retailers, including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Co-op, and Marks & Spencer, regarding the claims they make about the sourcing of their scampi. Open Seas expressed concerns about the use of the term “responsible sourcing,” stating that it does not align with international norms in the seafood industry and has been given an alternative definition by a self-interested industry group. According to Open Seas, the term is used to make vague and misleading environmental claims to promote and sell products.
The charity argues that trawl-caught scampi cannot be considered responsibly sourced due to the conduct of the fishery and its loose regulation. Open Seas has published reports demonstrating that bottom-trawling methods cause extensive damage to the marine environment and fish stocks. As a result, Open Seas accuses retailers of misleading consumers and breaching the CMA’s guide to making environmental claims about goods and services.
In order for retailers to use “responsibly sourced” claims on scampi packaging, they must meet the criteria set by the Sustainable Seafood Coalition’s Responsible Sourcing Code and Environmental Labelling Code. However, Open Seas questions the effectiveness of these codes, noting that an improvement project cited by retailers has failed to achieve practical positive changes despite being in operation for five years.
Open Seas is calling for the removal of “responsibly sourced” claims from all customer communications and product packaging immediately. In response to the complaint, a spokesperson from the British Retail Consortium emphasized retailers’ commitment to sourcing scampi responsibly, working closely with stakeholders and suppliers to ensure sustainability.
A Tesco spokesperson highlighted the company’s commitment to sourcing seafood responsibly and mentioned a recent agreement with UK scampi fishermen to adopt the MSC’s new “In Transition to MSC” program. This initiative aims to meet the standards for MSC accreditation on scampi fishing.
