At 7am this morning (Monday 20th March 2006) Greenpeace climbers scaled the roof of Morrisons flagship store in Bradford and unfurled a giant banner above the Morrisons logo saying 'UK's worst seafood retailer'.

Morrison's is now rated worst retailer in the Greenpeace league table that ranks supermarkets by their seafood buying policies, following moves by ASDA to remove endangered fish species from their shelves (1). Morrison's scored just 2 out of 20 for having no meaningful sustainable seafood policy and stocking 13 red listed fish species including cod, swordfish and skate (2).

A group of Greenpeace 'fishmongers' is also visiting Morrison's HQ and stores in Bradford to talk to the supermarket's staff and customers about the problems caused by the company's bad seafood policies. They are being accompanied by an ad-van carrying a billboard poster saying "More reasons NOT to shop at Morrisons" alongside images of wasted and mutilated fish caught as bycatch.

Greenpeace campaigner Oliver Knowles said, "Right now Morrison's policy, of plundering our oceans and endangering entire species of fish to stock their shelves, is one big reason NOT to shop at Morrison's. We hope todays protest is a wake up call for Morrison's and they will now remove the worst fish from their shelves and get serious about developing a sustainable seafood buying policy".

He continued, "Responsible retailers like Marks and Spencer's, Asda and Sainsbury's are already taking action to remove the most destructively fished species from their shelves. Morrison's must face up to their responsibilities and follow suit. The ball is in their court."

The world's oceans are in a state of crisis.Over-fishing and use of destructive fishing methods are trashing the ocean environment and causing many fish stocks to crash. For instance 90% of large predatory fish stocks like cod, tuna and swordfish have already been fished out.

Despite this crisis, supermarkets like Morrison's show no concern for which fish species they sell, where they come from or how they're caught. Morrison's are now the worst performers amongst the big national supermarkets - they have no policy on seafood and sell many of the most destructively fished species like cod, swordfish and skate.

The UK retail market for seafood is worth £.8 billion a year, and nearly 90% of sales are made through supermarkets, making them the major driver of standards. Greenpeace is calling on Morrisons and all retailers to:

• Immediately begin the process of removing the most destructively fished species from their shelves. That should include species listed as being most overfished and those caught using wasteful or destructive methods. For the few of these stocks that are not yet severely depleted, supermarkets must clearly specify the source and method of fishing and work to improve sustainability.
• Increase the range of sustainable seafood they sell - and ensure these sustainable species are promoted effectively in store, on their websites and in in-store magazines.
• Work with suppliers to source fish from only the least depleted stocks, work with fishermen and/or researchers to improve sustainability of fishing methods and reject fish from fisheries and suppliers that refuse to change.
• Improve seafood labelling by ensuring that all seafood products sold are clearly labelled so that consumers can make a more informed choice about the products they are buying. This means labelling seafood with: the common and scientific name of the species; the specific stock the seafood was caught from or the farm it was cultivated at; the fishing method used to catch it.

Notes

(1) Yorkshire based ASDA were formerly lowest ranked supermarket, but in response to the Greenpeace seafood campaign pledged at the end of last year to remove endangered fish from its shelves and develop an effective sustainable seafood policy.

(2) As rated by Greenpeace and the Marine Conservation Society.

The Greenpeace league table marked supermarkets out of twenty across four categories:

• number of the most destructively fished species sold
• seafood procurement policies
• support and promotion of sustainability initiatives
• labelling policies and public promotion of sustainable seafood

The league table features in a report, 'A recipe for disaster'. The study reveals the effect fish markets are having on our seas. As well as ranking supermarkets it details how:

• Three quarters of commercially valuable fish stocks are already fully exploited, overexploited or depleted. Worldwide up to 90% of stocks of predatory fish, including tuna, swordfish and cod, have already been fished out.
• Wild caught fish are used for fishmeal and fish oil to feed farmed stocks like salmon. It takes about three tonnes of wild fish to produce one tonne of salmon. Furthermore disease spreads easily from farmed to wild populations, further depleting wild stocks.
• Industrial fishing for smaller fish such as sandeels and anchovy for use in fishmeal has caused massive disruption to marine food webs and has almost certainly led to the decline in species such as cod, seals and seabirds in the North Sea.
• Download the full report: 'A recipe for disaster'.