13 March 2015
Fishing Industry Takes To Twitter To Celebrate The Diversity and Sustainability Of The UK Fleet.
TV chef, food
columnist and Great British Bake Off Winner John Whaite, is backing a Twitter
campaign urging consumers to embrace the breadth and variety of sustainable
fish available over the counter and caught by the UK fishing fleet.
The campaign
dubbed #CatchOfTheDay is being run by the National Federation of Fishermen’s
Organisations (NFFO), the body which represents fishermen’s groups, individual
fishermen and producer organisations in England, Wales and Northern Island, to
champion the diversity of the UK fishing fleet and encourage consumers to be
more adventurous with their choice of fish, trying species outside of the
‘seafood staples’ of cod, haddock and salmon.
The campaign is
calling for the fishing industry, chefs, producers and fish lovers in the UK to
share their ‘Catch Of The Day’ photos on Twitter from 16-20 March with the
hashtag #CatchOfTheDay.
This initiative is
being launched as part of the NFFO’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness of the
growing variety of sustainable species in UK waters and the important strides
which have been made by the industry, particularly in the last 10 years, to
improve gear and catch methods to in turn, boost stock levels. According to the latest ICES (International
Council for the Exploration of the Sea) statistics, there has been a 50%
reduction in fishing pressure across all commercial stocks in the North
Atlantic since 2000.
In 2013, 624,000
tonnes of fish were landed in the UK, generating a £718m economic contribution
from the industry. Over half (52%) of
people in the UK eat seafood at least once a week, though 62% rarely strayed
away from trying alternative species, due to not knowing how to prepare it and
not liking the look of it.
As a result of the
findings, celebrity chef and food columnist John Whaite has worked with the
NFFO to create a series of recipe cards to encourage consumers to consider
cooking with sustainable species of fish, proving they are just as versatile as
the ‘seafood staples’, whilst supporting the work of UK fishermen. Consumers
are then being urged to try John’s recipes and tweet photos of their finished
dishes with the hashtag #CatchOfTheDay.
John said: “There
is a huge variety of fish available from UK waters and it’s such a shame that
people don’t embrace this more. Cooking with different kinds of fish brings
variety to our diets and also introduces us to new tastes and dishes.”
“As an ingredient,
fish is incredibly versatile and there is nearly always a sustainable
alternative to any species. #CatchOfTheDay is all about celebrating the hard
work of the UK fishing industry and celebrating the incredible range of species
available from our waters. I really hope people will be inspired by the recipes
I’ve created and will try some different kinds of fish!”
Tony Delahunty, Chairman of the NFFO said: “The idea behind #CatchofTheDay is to give individuals the opportunity to
recognise the fishing industry and its contribution to UK life through one
simple tweet. We hope it will be a fun way of getting across a serious message
not only about the importance of the industry in providing a healthy,
sustainable food source to a growing population, but also its inherent
commitment to ensuring its future through sustainable methods.”
Show your support and download the
#CatchOfTheDay artwork and let us know you’re on board by tweeting your photos
with the card during the week 16-20 March
Visit the NFFO website for
further information: https://www.nffo.org.uk/