Fishing Industry Takes To Twitter To Celebrate The Diversity and Sustainability Of The UK Fleet
TV chef, food columnist and Great
British Bake Off Winner John Whaite, is backing a Twitter campaign urging
consumers to embrace the breadth and variety of sustainable fish available over
the counter and caught by the UK fishing fleet.
The campaign dubbed #CatchOfTheDay is being run by the National Federation of
Fishermen's Organisations (NFFO), the body which represents fishermen's groups,
individual fishermen and producer organisations in England, Wales and Northern
Island, to champion the diversity of the UK fishing fleet and encourage
consumers to be more adventurous with their choice of fish, trying species
outside of the 'seafood staples' of cod, haddock and salmon.
The campaign is calling for the fishing industry, chefs, producers and fish
lovers in the UK to share their 'Catch Of The Day' photos on Twitter from
16-20 March with the hashtag #CatchOfTheDay.
This initiative is being launched as part of the NFFO's ongoing efforts to raise
awareness of the growing variety of sustainable species in UK waters and the
important strides which have been made by the industry, particularly in the last
10 years, to improve gear and catch methods to in turn, boost stock levels.
According to the latest ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the
Sea) statistics, there has been a 50% reduction in fishing pressure across all
commercial stocks in the North Atlantic since 2000.
In 2013, 624,000 tonnes of fish were landed in the UK, generating a £718m
economic contribution from the industry. 52% of people in the UK eat seafood at
least once a week, though 62% rarely strayed away from trying alternative
species, due to not knowing how to prepare it and not liking the look of it.
As a result of the findings, celebrity chef
and food columnist John Whaite has worked with the NFFO to create a series of
recipe cards to encourage consumers to consider cooking with sustainable species
of fish, proving they are just as versatile as the 'seafood staples',
whilst supporting the work of UK fishermen. Consumers are then being urged to
try John's recipes and tweet photos of their finished dishes with the hashtag #CatchOfTheDay.
John said:- "There is a huge variety of fish available from UK waters and
it's such a shame that people don't embrace this more. Cooking with different
kinds of fish brings variety to our diets and also introduces us to new tastes
and dishes.
As an ingredient, fish is incredibly versatile and there is nearly always a
sustainable alternative to any species. #CatchOfTheDay is all about celebrating
the hard work of the UK fishing industry and celebrating the incredible range of
species available from our waters. I really hope people will be inspired by the
recipes I've created and will try some different kinds of fish!"
Tony Delahunty, Chairman of the NFFO said:- "The idea behind #CatchofTheDay
is to give individuals the opportunity to recognise the fishing industry and its
contribution to UK life through one simple tweet. We hope it will be a fun way
of getting across a serious message not only about the importance of the
industry in providing a healthy, sustainable food source to a growing
population, but also its inherent commitment to ensuring its future through
sustainable methods."
To get involved in #CatchofTheDay, tweet your photos with the hashtag during the
week 16 March to 20 March 2015. Visit the NFFO website for further information:-
nffo.org.uk.
