Sealord New Zealand,this week, launched their commitment to use the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) ecolabel on their frozen Hoki products with celebrity chef Tom Kime.

Highlighting the importance of choosing sustainable seafood

Tom Kime owns the Fish & Co sustainable seafood café in Sydney – the first independent restaurant in Sydney to be certified sustainable by the MSC. As a strong advocate of sustainable seafood, and preserving the biodiversity of our oceans. Kime focuses on serving fish and seafood that is certified sustainable from the internationally respected MSC - including New Zealand hoki and albacore tuna. 

“We can all enjoy eating seafood for years to come, if we consciously decide to only eat sustainable fish or alternative species that are under utilised,” says Tom Kime.

Hosted by Sealord, a proactive supporter of sustainable fishing in New Zealand, Tom will demonstrate his ideas for cooking MSC certified sustainable New Zealand hoki at an event for Sealord customers and food writers. He’ll also spend time on a hoki fishing trawler, working alongside the crew and cooking the catch on board in the ship’s galley. 

Using the ecolabel

The MSC ecolabel identifies seafood as coming from an independently certified sustainable fishery that is well managed, has healthy numbers and that carefully manages impacts on the marine environment.

Sealord will introduce the use of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) ecolabel on its hoki products from October and already offers New Zealand’s first MSC certified tuna. The aim is to make it easy to choose sustainable seafood at the supermarket by placing the MSC ecolabel on all Sealord frozen packs.

‘Being sustainable is about everyday seafood choices, it has to be accessible and affordable,’ says Tom Kime.

Showing leadership in New Zealand

Patrick Caleo, Australia and New Zealand Manager for MSC says the move will help spread the MSC message in New Zealand.
“Sealord is showing tremendous leadership in the seafood industry in New Zealand. They’re the first major brand to make such a strong commitment to use the MSC ecolabel. Their entire range of Hoki and Albacore Tuna products will be proudly marked with our blue ecolabel, giving New Zealanders that extra assurance their seafood is sustainable and can be traced back to their very own waters,” he said.

“Sealord people believe we have the responsibility to enhance and protect the ability of all New Zealanders to enjoy and access the sea and the food from it. New Zealand’s quota management system ensures we have some of the world’s most sustainable seafood. MSC certification provides an additional, independently accessed guarantee and we hope the ecolabel will help shoppers make an easy, sustainable choice,” says Alison Sykora, Sealord Public Affairs manager.