The Co-operative has been named as one of only five worldwide recipients of a prestigious Seafood Champion Award for 2010.
The awards are presented by Seafood Choices, an initiative of international ocean conservation organisation SeaWeb, and recognises individuals and businesses for “outstanding leadership in promoting environmentally responsible seafood”.
This year’s Seafood Champions were unveiled at the International Boston Seafood Show, the largest seafood show in North America.
The Co-operative was the only UK recipient of an award, earned in recognition of its commitment to innovation and to sourcing seafood from responsible sources.
Ned Daly, North American Director for Seafood Choices, said: “The Co-operative has made real and meaningful impacts in the area of seafood sustainability. The innovation and passion that it brings as part of the seafood industry sets it apart from its peers – while at the same time establishes the benchmark toward which others can strive.”
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) recently ranked The Co-operative as the number one sustainable seafood retailer in the UK. Only fish from certified, responsible sources are used for Co-operative-brand products, whether the fish are fresh, frozen or canned; from natural fillets or prepared products; or used as ingredients.
In addition, The Co-operative has eliminated all fish from the MCS Good Fish Guide’s “fish to avoid” list, and has the largest percentage of sales from the MCS’s “fish to eat” list.
Sean Toal, The Co-operative’s Commercial Director – Food Retail, said: “The Co-operative takes its responsibility to source seafood from sustainable sources very seriously, and so we are delighted that our work in this important area has been recognised by being named as a Seafood Champion. This is a high-calibre, worldwide award, and so this is a tremendous achievement and one we are very proud of.”
Additional Information
Other winners of the 2010 Seafood Champions Awards were:
• Howard Johnson, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, United States
• KLM in-flight services, Netherlands
• The West African Journalists Network for Responsible Fisheries
• Helene York, Bon Appetit Management Company Foundation, United States
The Co-operative Group stands apart from other major retailers in the UK as a business which is owned, not by a small group of shareholders, but by more than five million consumers. With core interests in food, financial services, travel, pharmacy, funerals and farms, it has an annual turnover of £14 billion, employs 123,000 staff and operates over 5,000 retail trading outlets handling more than 20 million weekly transactions.
Following the acquisition of the Somerfield supermarket chain in March 2009, The Co-operative Food is the fifth largest food retailer. The Co-operative Financial Services is one of the largest and most diversified financial mutual businesses, operating The Co-operative Bank, The Co-operative Insurance and Britannia.
The Co-operative is the UK’s number one provider of funeral services, the third largest retail pharmacy chain, a leading travel retailer, supplying the travel needs of more than three million people annually, and is the UK’s largest farmer.
Among its other businesses are The Co-operative Motor Group, The Co-operative Electrical Shop and The Co-operative Legal Services.
For further information please contact:
Steve Broughton
Senior Public Relations Officer
The Co-operative Group
Tel: 0161 246 2760
07834 090 014
steve.broughton@co-operative.coop