‘TRAILBLAZER’ SAINSBURY’S INSTRUMENTAL IN SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD TRANSFORMATION

The exponential growth in consumer spending on certified sustainable seafood in the UK is mirrored by one major retailer’s quarter century commitment to providing Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified product to its customers, a report reveals.

The MSC UK & Ireland Market Report 2025 marks 25 years of Sainsbury’s selling certified sustainable seafood products and shows how the supermarket has been in lockstep with the not-for-profit organisation in its bid to transform the wild seafood market to a sustainable basis and support a thriving ocean.

The now eight-time winner of the MSC Supermarket of the Year award was, in 2000, the first retailer in the UK to launch a product carrying the now familiar MSC blue ecolabel and, in the two-and-a-half decades since, its range has grown to 208 certified products, whilst total consumer spending on MSC labelled products in the UK has since soared to £1.7 bn annually.

George Clark, MSC Programme Director UK & Ireland, said: “It’s a success story that now sees UK retailers selling almost 1,000 MSC certified products, representing 49 individual species. It’s only with the milestone commitments of trailblazers like Sainsbury’s that almost two thirds of retailers’ wild caught fish and seafood offerings now carry the blue MSC ecolabel.

“Sainsbury’s has consistently led the way, and I have no doubt that we can look forward to more consumers shopping for an even wider range of certified sustainable seafood into the future. When the fishing industry can rely on retailers that make the kinds of commitments we see here in the UK, to buy their sustainable catch, that’s when we see transformative positive change in our seas and across the globe.”

Since introducing Thames red herring to its shelves in 2000, Sainsbury’s has celebrated several other milestones in its sustainable seafood journey with MSC. All Sainsbury’s cod and haddock now carry the blue ecolabel, as do 100% of its tuna products.

The company’s support of pre-certification initiatives and Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) like Project UK, to enable the next generation of sustainable fisheries, has shown the importance it places upon meeting the same goals it set out with two and a half decades ago.

Sainsbury’s remains committed to reaching its target of sourcing and selling 100% certified sustainable seafood – up from the current 81% of its range that’s MSC certified – the highest of any UK retailer as reported in the MSC’s UK & Ireland Market Report 2025.

Dave Parker, Aquaculture and Fisheries Manager at Sainsbury’s, said: ”Good food requires a resilient food system and responsible sourcing plays a big part in this. Since launching the UK’s first MSC‑labelled product in 2000, we’ve seen customer demand for these products grow enormously and are pleased to say 81% of our range is now MSC certified. We’re continuing to work with the MSC and our suppliers to continue to increase our number of sustainably sourced products, helping to protect our oceans and ensure good food for everyone.”

For more detailed information about the 189,000 tonnes of MSC labelled products sold by UK retailers, Sainsbury’s ongoing seafood sustainability journey and other developing trends, read the MSC UK & Ireland Market Report 2025 report here.