Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s has announced it will offer shoppers free portions of lesser-known fish species in a bid to encourage customers to make more sustainable choices.
On Friday, customers who ask for one of the ‘Big 5’ species of fish – cod, haddock, tuna, salmon and prawns – from Sainbsurys fish counters will be offered a free portion of hake, pouting, megrim, coley, rainbow trout, or mackerel .
The move is part of a campaign started earlier this year by Channel 4’s ‘The Great British Fish Fight’, which aims to encourage consumers to try new, less loved fish varieties and make more sustainable choices to ease pressure on the country’s fish stocks .
“Sainsbury’s is really taking the next step with its campaign ‘Switch the Fish’ demonstrating its commitment to getting customers to widen their choice when it comes to eating something other than the ‘Big 5’,” said celebrity chef and campaign endorser Jamie Oliver .
“Offering free alternative fish is a great way to do this and will in turn help people be a bit more adventurous when they come to do their next shop.”
A recent survey carried out by YouGov on behalf of Sainsbury’s found that 41 per cent of Brits eat cod at least once a month and a fifth eat tuna at least once a week. By contrast, some 84 per cent of Brits have never tried megrim and 82 per cent have never tasted pouting.
Sainsbury’s CEO Justin King said: “Sainsbury’s Switch the Fish campaign really marks a step change in our support of alternative species of fish. It’s not about eliminating the ‘Big ‘5, but helping our customers to widen their repertoire.”
“We hope that by leading by example, we can help change UK fish eating habits to restore declining fish stocks.”
