UPSTREAM: Choice editing
Who: Dansk Supermarked
Country: Denmark
Objective: Dansk Supermarked (DS) has an attitude towards environmentally friendly and sustainable fishery. From 2012 all fish DS sells must be documented sustainable. This applies to fresh, frozen and smoked as well as wild and breeded fish.
Description of initiative: The shops of DS were the first in Denmark to offer MSC certified fish to its customers. MSC stands for Marine Stewardship Council and is the only widely acknowledged certification scheme for sustainable sea fishery.
DS has asked for advice and guidance with authorities, environmental and fishery organisations regarding their task in selecting the fish that DS can sell with a good conscience. Together with WWF the whole range of fish were checked in 2009 and DS learned which status the different species have as well as their origin – in relation to sustainability. DS has ceased to sell eel, shark, swordfish, Victoria fish and angler as they are considered to be endangered or unsustainable.
DS has constantly been in contact with authorities and environmental organisations and interest groups to ensure that the fish they sell are sustainable. Among others, DS receives guidance from Sustainable Fisheries Partnership which is an independent international expert organisation (NGO) that gives advice to the industry regarding sustainable fishery.
Suppliers of breeded fish must be able to document an effort towards the environment and sustainability as no certification scheme exists yet that covers freshwater fish and breeded fish. Therefore DS makes specific demands to the suppliers.
DS wishes to know the story from water to table for all fish they sell. Therefore their suppliers must be able to document the following:
Effect of initiative: So far the effect of the initiative has not been measured, but DS is of the opinion that it is important to have an attitude towards the project.
Time period: The immediate objective and expectation is that all fish sold in DS must be documented sustainable at the end of 2012.
Future work: At DS the ambition is to continue the cooperation with Sustainable Fisheries Partnership to ensure that they are moving in the right direction. Furthermore, they will continuously ensure a dialogue with the consumers regarding sustainable fish and gradually extend their assortment of MSC certified products.
More information:
Contact person: Søren Bo Christensen, Dansk Supermarked.
Links: (in Danish) See Dansk Supermarked Website
The Danish Environmental Protection Agency Strandgade 29 DK-1401 Copenhagen K Phone: +45 7254 4000
Copenhagen Resource Institute Højbro Plads 4, Mezzaninen DK-1200 Copenhagen K Phone: +45 7254 6160
The Nordic Council of Ministers Ved Stranden 18 DK-1061 Copenhagen K Phone: +45 3396 0200
Key trends in environmental impacts from consumption in Nordic countries reveal that more action is needed.
The role of retailers in the transition towards Sustainable Consumption and Production (PDF, 424KB)
Potential policies to promote SCP via the food retail sector in Nordic Countries (PDF, 400KB)
Read more about the project (PDF, 108KB)