Discount retailer Lidl has become the first grocery chain in the United Kingdom to sell whole lobsters that have been Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified, and to lure more shoppers to its stores this Christmas it has cut the price of the shellfish to just GBP 4.99 (EUR 6.93; USD 7.66) each.
Last year, Lidl was selling uncertified lobsters for GBP 5.99 (EUR 8.32; USD 9.20).
The bargain-price lobsters are being sourced from New Brunswick, Canada, where the fishery is open for just two months to protect the stock. The fishermen use small boats and baited traps to catch the crustaceans.
They are cooked and frozen locally before being shipped to the U.K. market.
"We first introduced MSC products into our stores in 2006 and have continually expanded this range ever since. We are proud to be the first British supermarket to sell MSC assured whole lobster, and in addition to this 100 percent of our fresh ongoing (wild-caught) fish is MSC certified and labeled and this range is available in stores all year round," said Alexandra Scholes, fish and seafood buyer for Lidl.
Lidl has worked closely with the MSC over the past year to build up its range of certified fish and shellfish. Today, 41 of its wild seafood products are MSC labeled, an increase of 24 percent compared to last year.
