UK retailer Marks & Spencer has launched Forever Fish, a new campaign to help customers and their children learn more about fish, clean British beaches and protect UK marine life.
Over the next three years M&S will set-up and run School of Fish, an education programme to inspire 400,000 primary school pupils to learn more about protecting the future of fish.
The company will also invest over £1 million in WWF projects that help better manage UK fish stocks, such as cod, and protect important species like dolphins and turtles.
Some of the projects this investment will fund include:
Safeguarding UK seas: The new funding from M&S will boost WWF’s work with government, industry and other stakeholders to ensure that the UK’s seas are managed better, so fish stocks can recover and threatened species such as dolphins and harbour porpoises have a safe haven.
Securing a future for tuna: Extra funding will help WWF highlight and tackle some of the biggest challenges facing tuna, such as illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.
Protecting marine diversity off east Africa and in the Coral Triangle: M&S will be supporting WWF’s work with governments and communities to establish marine protected areas, countering threats from overfishing, climate change and the unsustainable development of tourism.
Another aim of the campaign is to help customers make healthy and more sustainable choices by promoting more high quality, sustainably-sourced fish and introducing lesser known and more plentiful species such as dab and flounder.
The final aim of the project is to encourage as many of M&S' 21 million customers and 78,000 employees as possible to help the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) clean over 400 British beaches, twice a year.
Marc Bolland, Chief Executive of Marks & Spencer, says: “We will work together with our customers, our people and their children to promote a healthy future for our beaches, seas and fish. Forever Fish involves schools, charities, fishermen and fisheries so that we can all enjoy cleaner beaches, more sustainable fishing and healthy fish.”
Forever Fish launched in stores on 22 June and will be funded by the profits from M&S' 5p food carrier bag charge. A new carrier bag design will be launched to coincide with the change and a Forever Fish product stamp will highlight fish products right across food halls, not only in fresh fish but in ready meals, Food To Go and frozen products.
Paul Willgoss, Head of Food Technology at Marks & Spencer, says: “Already 90% of the wild fish we sell is in line with our Plan A commitment, but certifying fish stocks is not the full story. We are working with our customers in support of the UK fishing industry so that the next generation understands the importance of healthy oceans and can enjoy sustainably sourced fish.”
Dax Lovegrove, Head of Business and Industry Relations at WWF, says: “The company [M&S] shows strong leadership on sourcing various resources including fish, which is important for the protection of fish stocks and their investment will be vital in helping us to address threats to endangered marine species.”
