Flatfish of Grimsby, the company undertaking the primary processing, only deals with boats that use the proven responsible 'seine net' method, which does not damage the sea bed and minimises the amount of juvenile fish caught, contributing to the species not being over-fished.
Huw Thomas, Head of Ethical and Sustainable Sourcing at Cumbrian Seafoods, said: "Our goal is to lead the market in terms of responsible and ethical sourcing of seafood and we have worked very closely with our suppliers, Flatfish, to launch these products. They reflect our commitment to supplying seafood from responsible sources."
Chris Brown, Asda's Head of Ethical & Sustainable Sourcing added: "As our customers expect us to do everything we can to protect wild fish stocks, we chose to work with Cumbrian Seafoods on the development of this initiative. Lemon Sole is becoming an increasingly popular fish in the UK and this launch gives our customers the confidence that they are buying fish from sustainable sources."
The launch, which coincides with World Oceans Day last month, is yet another successful responsible sourcing initiative that Cumbrian Seafoods has undertaken this year.
In April 2009, Cumbrian Seafoods were the first UK supplier to launch MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) accredited Atlantic Cod & Haddock, and in 2008, the company was the first in Europe to be awarded with the ACC (Aquaculture Certification Council) Accreditation.
This latter award complemented efforts that had seen them successfully establish the first three-star ACC accreditation site in Asia, in their sourcing of warm water prawns from that region.
Over the last 25 years, the company's founder, Peter Vassallo has consistently pursued a responsible approach to harvesting a resource once believed to be inexhaustible.
He said: "One of Cumbrian Seafoods' most fundamental aims has been to champion a sustainable and ethical standard in all that we deliver to our customers."
He added: "We have long acknowledged that fish is a limited commodity and as such have an undeniable responsibility to continue investing in legitimate and sustainable projects across a wide range of species, sufficient to meet consumers' developing needs, each and every year."
