Metro quits selling seven threatened species

Natalia Real
Setptember 24, 2010
Fisheries Information Service

The Metro grocery chain has announced the implementation of its sustainable fisheries policy such that it will begin offering its consumers fresh and frozen wild and farmed seafood products from sustainably managed fisheries by June of next year. Seven threatened species will no longer be offered.

Metro will quit selling seven threatened species - Atlantic cod (West), bluefin tuna, orange roughy, Chilean seabass, New Zealand hoki, skate and shark – to be reintroduced if future scientific reports conclude that stocks have reached acceptable levels.

The sustainable fisheries policy applies in Metro supermarkets and discount supermarkets in Ontario and Quebec; the changes are being implemented gradually until fully realised by next June.

All the chain’s suppliers will have to sign a code of conduct on their commitment to the new policy, and suppliers making concrete progress toward sustainably managing their activities and promoting recognised standards will be favoured.

Metro has developed a new and more transparent labelling system for the traceability of its seafood products to help shoppers make educated decisions about the seafood they eat. The new labels will include the scientific name, the product's origin, the fishing type and the presence of a standard if applicable.

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