Bass Anglers’ Sportfishing Society

Fighting for Bass and Bass Anglers’ since 1973

Supermarket leads the way

[On 31 July 2006, IntraFish, a global newspaper, which reports on the world-wide commercial fishing industry, published an article, titled, ‘Auchan adopts sustainable sourcing measures’ by John Evans.
The article confirms French supermarket chain, Auchan’s policy changes, which if they keep their word, should reduce the supply of bass caught by pelagic vessels, during the spawning season in France.
]

It is reported that the French supermarket retailer, Auchan, is promising more sustainable seafood sourcing measures, after ending the sale of wild sea bass from December to March.

During the three-month period, Auchan will avoid putting on its shelves wild sea bass caught in breeding grounds. Instead, the chain, whose worldwide business activities turn over EUR41 billion (US$52 billion), will sell farmed and line-caught sea bass.

The move is part of a package of six measures being introduced by Auchan, which holds an 11.7 percent market share of retail fish sales in France, amounting to more than 40,000 tons of seafood.

“They are the first concrete measures to be taken, but they are certainly not the last,” seafood buyer, Dominic Sire, told IntraFish.

The retailer says it will only sell sole, plaice, turbot, brill, and dab in sizes, above those required by European Union fisheries authorities.

“In future, shoppers will be encouraged to eat cod steaks from larger, more mature fish, sourced from well-managed fisheries, Auchan said.”