Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Austral Fisheries Glacier 51 Toothfish has won the Best Sustainable Seafood Product title at Sustainable Seafood Awards Australia 2021.
This marks the second year of Austral Fisheries Glacier 51 winning the top honors, along with the newly MSC-certified Fremantle Octopus range. The award-giving body also named the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)-certified kingfish as Best Responsible Seafood Product.
This year’s Sustainable Seafood Awards were hosted by the MSC and ASC, recognizing people and organizations that are leading the way in protecting the future of seafood.
Glacier 51 Toothfish, which was also recently bestowed with the world’s first carbon neutral seafood accolade, is located in an isolated fishery in Heard Island, a sub-Antarctic region. The fish is sustainably caught in underwater volcanic crevices 2,000 meters below sea level.
The Fremantle octopus range was recognized because of its trio selection of Western Australian raw, cooked, and marinated octopus, and KB Food Co. kingfish received ASC’s Best Responsible Seafood due to its “highly sustainable farming practices located in Spencer Gulf, South Australia.”
Anne Gabriel from MSC said these companies are making a difference in sustainable fishing.
“We’re honored to work with fisheries, suppliers and retailers who are making a positive difference in protecting the future of our major food source that is truly wild,” Gabriel said. “We want to acknowledge their efforts in making a sustainable future.”
Selecting the winners were highly regarded members of the sustainability and environment sectors, such as Fairtrade Australia and New Zealand, Ocean Watch Australia, and the Ocean Future Fund.
Coles Supermarkets managed to gain multiple awards, receiving a Highly Commended Sustainable Seafood Product award for its Washington rock lobster, an MSC Best Sustainable Seafood Supermarket award, and an ASC highly commended seafood importer recognition.
The other Sustainable Seafood Awards 2021 winners are:
- Community champion – MSC: Harley & Johns
- Best supermarket – MSC: Coles Supermarkets
- Best sustainable product – MSC:
- Glacier 51 Toothfish - Austral
- Fremantle Octopus Range - Fremantle Octopus
- Highly commendable product – MSC
- Crumbed Australian Prawn Cutlets - Bidfood
- Just Caught Crumbed Fish Fillets Multiseed - KB Food Company
- Coles Western Australian Rock Lobsters - Coles
- OceanRise Pink Salmon 130g - ALDI
- Best product – ASC:
- Australian Clean Seas Kingfish - KB Seafood Company
- Highly commendable product – ASC:
- Woolworths Smoked Oysters - Woolworths
- Responsible seafood importer – ASC: Bidfood
- Highly commended seafood importer - ASC: KB Foods and Coles Supermarkets
- Lifetime achievement award - MSC and ASC: Keith Sainsbury
Photo courtesy of the Sustinable Seafood Awards
