A recent report from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) finds that one out of every six primary schools in the United Kingdom now serves certified sustainable fish to its young scholars.
MSC says the new School Food Standards, which were implemented in January 2015, are to thank for an 18 percent increase in U.K. schools that now offer some form of sustainable seafood; over 500 schools are currently on the books as being MSC certified. Alongside the influx of interest shown by schools for sustainability in general, there is a resurgence of intrigue surrounding oily fish, which makes perfect sense to Toby Middleton, regional Program Director at the MSC.
“We’ve seen a significant increase in schools serving MSC certified fish and a renewed interest in oily fish. Under the School Food Standards, schools are required to serve oily fish every three weeks and they recommend MSC certified fish. With the Standards coming into force in January we’ve seen renewed commitments from LEAs and their suppliers coupled with a real shift in attitudes toward sustainable fish sourcing,” Middleton said in a statement about the report.
The MSC End of Term report serves up ample evidence of schoolhouse sustainability progress: In 2015, the South East region in the U.K. saw 209 schools achieve MSC certification and the Midlands LEAs saw 164 schools sign on to sustainable seafood sourcing. Altogether that accounts for a 33 percent increase in sales of MSC certified fish into the education sector.
Henry Dimbleby, one of the authors of the School Food Standards, notes that while the School Foods Standards program has had an impressive start, there is still much to accomplish moving forward.
“This report highlights the impact of the School Food Plan on the sourcing of fish in schools. It shows a strong start, though there is still a long way to go. Thousands more school pupils eating sustainable fish, supporting sustainable fishing and learning how to protect the marine environment: that’s a fantastic legacy to leave our children,” Dimbleby said.
Check out more of the report here:
