The Sustainable Fish City campaign aims to kick endangered and unsustainably caught fish off menus for good, and work with fish-serving businesses to help to secure a sustainable future for our fisheries and marine environment.
The Sustainable Fish Cities initiative began in 2011, inspired by the commitment to serve 100% sustainable fish at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.
In 2014, the Sustainable Food Cities project adopted the campaign, allowing thirteen other towns and cities in its growing network to work towards Sustainable Fish City status including Belfast, Cardiff, Liverpool, Newcastle and Stockport.
Sarah Watson, Sustainable Food City Manager for Bournemouth and Poole, stated: “We are delighted that Bournemouth and Poole has been crowned the world’s first Sustainable Fish City. It has been hard work, but we have been overwhelmed by the support the campaign has received from local businesses and caterers that want to make a positive difference to the future of our oceans. This includes nearly all primary schools, leisure centres, theatres, Bournemouth Pavilion, large workplace restaurants, Bournemouth University, all major hospitals, A.F.C. Bournemouth and restaurants including the Highcliff Grill at the Marriot Hotel, Arbor at the Green House Hotel and AA double Rosette winning Cumberland Hotel and Ventana Grand Café."
Ruth Westcott, co-ordinator of Sustainable Fish Cities, commented: “This is a truly extraordinary achievement which will have a huge impact on the local, and indeed national supply chain for fish. Already we are seeing the impact of the campaign beyond Bournemouth and Poole – Harrison Catering Services, one of the UK’s top education and workplace caterers have recently taken the Fish Cities pledge on behalf of their UK-wide operation, and a major inspiration was the pledge of their Poole-based customer, the Jordans and Ryvita Company. There is no doubt that this achievement will inspire other towns and cities and we hope we this is just the first of many Sustainable Fish Cities in the UK.”
Having now received pledges from the most important and iconic of out of home food providers Bournemouth and Poole Sustainable Food Partnership will be celebrating this achievement with a public beach party on 21 June, and hope, in the meantime, to encourage remaining local businesses to join the campaign.
