Marine Conservation Society

Supermarket Seafood Survey 2011

The MCS supermarket survey is the benchmark for seafood sustainability in UK supermarkets. Consumers put their faith in supermarkets to source sustainable seafood, and our survey is putting that trust to the test.

We sent supermarkets a questionnaire to assess and score them in four key areas: their policy, seafood sales, labelling and consumer information, and sustainability initiatives.

The results have revealed that some retailers are moving in the right direction towards sustainable sourcing, whilst others have made considerably less effort. Marks & Spencer and the Co-operative come out on top with a "Gold" medal standard, with Sainsbury’s and Waitrose picking up "Silver". None of the other major supermarkets reached a level that merited an award, and some refused to take part in the research at all.

How sustainable is the seafood sold by your local supermarket? See the graphics below for a summary of awards for each retailer, and click the links on the right for more details.