June 7, 2018 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:
McDonald’s is using its size and scale to advance sustainable fish sourcing as the industry standard, helping to protect long-term fish supplies and help improve the health of surrounding marine ecosystems.
Every Filet-O-Fish® sandwich served in the U.S. is made with Alaska pollock from the largest Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fishery in the world. Located in the Northeast Pacific Ocean, the fishery’s sustainability measures include avoiding capture of non-targeted fish – called bycatch – at one of the world’s lowest rates, one percent. Aside from the filets, the fishery also makes use of the entire fish for other purposes (including oil, roe and bones), resulting in zero waste, according to a report issued by Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers.
In 2018, McDonald’s USA marks five years as the first and only global restaurant company to serve MSC certified fish at every U.S. location.
Nearly half of all American consumers surveyed as part of a recent global consumer perceptions study are concerned about overfishing. Nearly 80% of U.S. consumers agree that we need to protect fish for the future so our children and grandchildren can continue to enjoy seafood. The consumer survey was carried out by an independent research and insights company,GlobeScan, on behalf of the MSC organization.
“The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is proud to be a part of McDonald’s sustainability journey, and its dedication to supporting fishermen and companies doing the right thing,” said Brian Perkins, Regional Director Americas, Marine Stewardship Council. “Supporting communities that depend on fish, promoting sustainable practices, and ensuring traceability along the supply chain through the MSC program help to ensure that our children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy seafood for generations to come.”
To underscore McDonald’s commitment to healthy oceans and fish for future generations, and make the topic accessible for children, McDonald’s, in partnership with the MSC, created “Reel It In!” – the only card game in the sea that teaches the importance of sustainable fishing. The game is available for download online.
In 2011 and 2013, McDonald’s Europe and McDonald’s USA, respectively, elected to certify their more than 20,000 combined restaurants to the MSC Chain of Custody traceability standard. Today all of the Filet-O-Fish® portions served in Europe, U.S., Canada and Brazil bear the MSC certified label. McDonald’s is committed to sourcing 100% of wild-caught fish globally from verified sustainable sources by 2020.
About the MSC
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organization. Our vision is for the world’s oceans to be teeming with life, and seafood supplies safeguarded for this and future generations. Our ecolabel and certification programrecognises and rewards sustainable fishing practices and is helping create a more sustainable seafood market.
The MSC ecolabel on a seafood product means that:
-It comes from a wild-catch fishery which has been independently certified to the MSC’s science-based standard for environmentally sustainable fishing.
-It’s fully traceable to a sustainable source.
More than 300 fisheries in over 34 countries are certified to the MSC’s Standard. These fisheries have a combined annual seafood production of almost nine million metric tons, representing 12% of global marine catch. More than 25,000 seafood products worldwide carry the MSC label. For more information visit www.msc.org