Leaders of the sustainable seafood and aquaculture sectors gathered in Plymouth last night to celebrate the achievements of the sustainable seafood and responsible sourcing movements.

More than 100 guests gathered at award-winning museum, art gallery and archive, The Box for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aqua Stewardship Council (ASC)’s annual awards, which were this year hosted by  comedian and environmental economist, Dr Matt Winning.

The MSC and ASC UK 2024 Awards, sponsored by Seafood Scotland, Plymouth Gin and Plymouth City Council, are a celebration of the commitment to sustainable seafood and responsible aquaculture across the whole supply chain from ocean to plate.

Earlier in the day, guests at the awards were invited on board vessel Bonne Peche, docked at Sutton Harbour, and owned by Plymouth-based Interfish, to find out about life on board a fishing boat which included safety briefings, learning how to mend fishing nets and even some fish identification.

Leader of Plymouth City Council, Councillor Tudor Evans OBE, welcomed guests to the awards saying he was delighted to host the flagship awards at The Box.

“Fishing is very important to us as a Council and to me personally,” he said. “The Council have been very proactive over the past ten years, taking time to get to know the industry and we have collaborated on a wide variety of initiatives. Fishing is an integral part of our local economy. 

“These awards bring stakeholders together to celebrate excellence in sustainable fishing and seafood. Thank you for coming to Britain’s Ocean City.”

Supermarket Sainsbury’s was the highest achiever on the night being awarded a ‘Double Win’ for MSC UK Supermarket of the Year and ASC UK Retailer of the Year - marking Sainsbury's 8th win in an MSC retailer award category and the second year in a row that Sainsbury’s has won both top prizes.

Other notable winners included Tesco, for winning MSC UK Product of the Year, with its Tesco Finest Cornish Sardines in Tomato Sauce which was decided by a public vote, and Princes who won MSC UK Seafood Brand of the Year.

Jersey lobster fisherman Ian Syvret, Skipper of Bonne Peche, part of the 190-strong Normandy and Jersey Lobster Fishery, was named MSC UK Fishing Hero of the Year for his efforts to ensure the commercial success of MSC certified lobsters, while the MSC UK Ocean Leadership award went to the Cornish Sardine Management Association (CSMA).

George Clark, MSC UK & Ireland Programme Director, said: “It’s fantastic to gather together in Plymouth once again this year, to celebrate the major achievements in sustainable seafood. From the fishing sector who land the catch, up through the supply chain to the brands and retailers making commitments to source only from sustainable fisheries and ASC-certified fish farms to provide to their customers, our award winners tonight really are demonstrating excellence in the sector.”

This year’s MSC award was handmade by eco homeware company Rawr, using crushed cockle shells from the MSC certified Thames Cockle fishery and mussel and scallop shells from Shetland’s MSC certified fisheries.

Maud van den Haspel, ASC General Manager for the UK and Benelux, said: “The ASC awards are a fantastic opportunity for us to acknowledge and reward the hard work that our winning partners have put in over the past year to offer a growing range of ASC labelled seafood to seafood lovers in the UK.”