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Tesco is committed to the principle of sustainability in our seafood sourcing. We recognise that we can only continue to meet customer demands for this healthy food choice if we play our part in protecting the long term future of wild fish populations, and work with the fishing industry and NGOs towards greater sustainability. Our fresh fish sourcing policy is based on four key principles: - Avoid stocking wild fish from over-fished or vulnerable stocks - Support sustainable sourcing initiatives - Work with our suppliers and the industry to improve sustainability of fishing methods - Promote sustainable fish species We aim to buy from integrated supply chains, in long-term partnership, rather than from wholesale markets, so that we know when and how our fish is sourced. We believe that aquaculture can make an important contribution to protecting depleted wild stocks where it is carried out sustainably. We have developed four Codes of Practice, which cover farmed salmon, trout, tilapia, bass, bream and warm-water prawns. This year, we also developed a detailed policy to control sourcing of both wild and farmed tropical prawns and shrimp, both those sold as such and also, those used as ingredients in own-label products. These Codes were written in conjunction with external independent veterinary, animal welfare and environmental experts. We know the importance of protecting fish stocks, so we ask suppliers to introduce procedures to avoid catching young fish and fish in reproduction. Last year, we worked hard on four species stocked on our fresh fish counter, identified by the Marine Conservation Society as 'Fish to Avoid': monkfish, halibut, huss and skates/rays. By February 2007, we had stopped selling huss, moved to farmed halibut from wild halibut and begun to move our sourcing of monkfish from Scotland to more sustainable fisheries in the South West. We also put in place stock-level monitoring, following a workshop with suppliers and NGOs, and have reviewed our skate fishery - where we now stock just two species of rays. We do not source from any fisheries involved in, or financially benefiting from, whaling or sealing. In the coming year we will roll out this approach across all of the UK categories that buy seafish, a process that will be managed by a new fish sustainability group within the business. The roll-out of regional buying teams is aimed at giving small local and regional suppliers access to Tesco stores. Our experience in Cornwall is that we are able to source sustainable, high quality fish from supplier suppliers not engaged in mass-catching methods and with good local knowledge. We hope these benefits will be replicated in other regions as the project grows.
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