Smart site shows where fish are sourced

CONSUMERS can find out where the fish they buy is farmed or caught with a new interactive map launched by Marks & Spencer.
The retailer says its website – corporate.marksandspencer.com/seafoodmap – is the first of its kind in the UK and includes information on the capture or farming method and sustainability information for every fishery or farm.
Some 47 different species (every type M&S sells) are plotted on the map, as well as 71 fisheries and 29 different sourcing countries.
For the UK, the map shows that M&S supplies four farmed species – salmon, rainbow trout, blue mussels and rock oysters.
And it offers 16 species caught in UK waters, including herring, monkfish, plaice, lemon sole, haddock, brill, hake and mackerel.
Hannah Macintyre, the company’s marine biologist, said: ‘Transparency is an important part of the trust that our customers and stakeholders put in us, that’s why we’ve published this smart tool which lays bare our whole fish supply chain, wherever it is in the world and however it is fished or farmed.’
For farmed fish, the map shows the location of the farm by country and region, the farming method, M&S Select Farm status and whether the farm is third party certified.
For wild caught fish, the map shows the location of where the fish or seafood is caught by country, the catch method used and whether the fishery is certified or, if not, details of the improvement work taking place.
Picture: M&S map showing source of farmed salmon in Scotland