McDonald's Will Serve Sustainable Fish Across Europe

Starting in October 2011, McDonald's 7,000 European locations will serve sustainable seafood certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. "It is one of the highest-profile marine eco-labeling deals ever announced, and environmentalists were largely supportive of its goals," notes the New York Times.

In Europe, McDonald's uses four different species of fish: cod, haddock, Alaska pollock and New Zealand hoki. McDonald's in the U.S. also serves Alaskan pollack, as well as less sustainable whitefish. A McDonald's spokesperson told the New York Times that there have been some conversations about extending the deal to the U.S, where the filet-o-fish remains one of the more sustainable items on the McDonald's menu. In fact, several years ago McDonald's stopped using Eastern Baltic cod due to sustainability concerns, but now the populations are recovering.

Although this move is a positive step for the chain, varying definitions of sustainability have prompted some criticism of the decision. New Zealand hoki are caught by trawling the ocean floor, a practice in which sustainable seafood group Oceana believes renders the fish unsustainable (it has been compared to driving a bulldozer across the bottom of the ocean). Similarly, some sources have questioned the future of the Alaskan pollack though for now Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch deems pollack a "good alternative," the second-highest rating after "best choice."

Last year, McDonald's sold about 100 million Filet-o-Fish in Europe, and they pledge that the new initiative will not result in a price increase.

Comments

[NZ Seafood]

11:24 PM on 06/14/2011

New Zealand hoki is certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council - that’s why McDonalds and many other major businesses around the world choose to offer it to their customers. New Zealand producers of hoki don’t view certification as an end point – we ensure hoki stocks are independently monitored and carefully managed, including any effects on the ecosystem, to ensure that any impact on the environment (including bottom trawling) is minimised.
The New Zealand seafood industry as a whole are world leaders in minimizing bottom trawling effects. Less than 1% of the New Zealand zone has been trawled for hoki and 32% is set aside under Marine Protected Areas which exclude trawling. Our customers continue to buy hoki from sustainably managed fisheries with confidence. More about hoki is here: http://bit.ly/Qcqu4
and more about bottom trawling in New Zealand is here:
http://bit.ly/j4YaZe

[El Chingaso]

01:56 PM on 06/11/2011

Yep, just as I suspected: Upon closer, forensic examination of the photo above, the Filet O' Fish is a fake. More than likely, buns are made of plastic and the cheese and tartar sauce were created with dyed glues, gums and powdered sugar(s). Yum. Nevertheless, for an actual visual rendition of this tasty, fried treat from the sea, the website "Fast Food: Ads vs. Reality", , contains an actual, mouth-watering photo. Yeah, baby...

[behavingbadly]

10:23 AM on 06/11/2011

It looks about as appetizing as damp cardboard.

[nowparty2012]

08:38 AM on 06/11/2011

What ever McDonald's does, there will always be the whiners who say they are making people fat. Becoming fat involves stuffing you face with sugar and loads of carbohydrates. Avoiding red meat and fat became the rage in the 70s. And America became the fattest, most disgusting people on the face of the earth. Travel to Europe and you do not see these fatties, much less the "fat family" you see a Walmart.

[hungrydoll2020]

12:27 PM on 06/11/2011

I've been international and have seen all kinds of fatties as you call it... you seem jealous.. you must be a clothes hanger.. poor thing

[Kev n]

08:31 AM on 06/11/2011

I would eat them if they broiled them instead of deep fat frying. They love to deep fat fry everything, its easier that way.

[Namvet6871]

07:26 AM on 06/11/2011

Thats news, europe and and mickey D LOL

[meleagrid]

06:53 AM on 06/11/2011

MCS doesn't mean much. As noted by some, we'd like to know what the fish have in them. If you want to know about Hg content and the amount that is safe to eat go to gotmercury.org. Would be nice to see more sites like that and a more thorough listing for other chemicals and metals showing up in fish, sustainable or not.

[DONSKI2011]

06:50 AM on 06/11/2011

I DON'T EAT MC DONALDS GARBAGE FOOD.

[gposner29]

06:28 AM on 06/11/2011

Sustainable simply means you can't digest it.

[footdoc004]

04:54 AM on 06/11/2011

Please, I like Johnny Walker Blue Label and I have an unopened bottle for four years now. Personal resposibility. That is the answer. McDonalds meals don't have to be bad for you, keep your calories at 1500 or a little more and you will be fine. Everthing that tastes good can be habit forming. Parents should decide where and what their children eat. Even a few French fries won't hurt you. Not every day not four times a day.Eat anything you want(Except organic sprouts)in moderation. from Kolkata [e-mail]

[G Carey]

01:22 AM on 06/11/2011

The only way to get pure stuff is to grow it yourself and we all know that's not easy. Then you have to use pesticides or be an expert at organics. OR grow it indoors, and that requires constant tending. Besides, that's just stuff you can grow, not fish, poultry and beef.

I'm still laughing at some of your comments here. Funny stuff. And the lady who get's sick and acid reflux, you said "every time" you go there, which is why the guy asked why you keep going back. Get some prilosec. You only live once.

later taters

[AFMomXs2]

12:50 AM on 06/11/2011

I thought sustainable was something that you use over and over ... does this mean someone ate it ...threw it up and they made another sandwich??
All kidding aside McD's fish sandwich is nothing but garbage fish and grease...shudder.... but considering they bleach their chicken or is it ammonia ?? and put plastic in their milk shakes .... what do you expect... I have a feeling The Colonel, Ray Crock and Mr. Wendy's are spinning in their graves over what their "empires" are passing off for food these days.

[G Carey]

01:25 AM on 06/11/2011

Mr. Wendy's is Dave and I forgot his last name. Wendy is his daughter. MdDonalds now uses organic free range chicken. I think they ought to play that point up. Of course if they did, somebody would draw attention to the beef industry, which is no picnic.

[Wake Up Call]

02:35 AM on 06/11/2011

The term "free range" chicken is one of the biggest frauds perpetrated on the American public. Do you know what the actual legal requirement is for a chicken to be called "free range"? If it can go outside for one minute a day, and spends the other 23 hours and 59 minutes in a cage, it is free range under USDA regulations. Now not ALL farms play that game - but you can bet that McDonalds' farms are.

[AFMomXs2]

09:09 AM on 06/11/2011

I suggest you re-check your sources on how Mcnuggets are made....

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100326212633AAUYOii

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T67DvoH2H3E

[MysticLady]

10:50 PM on 06/10/2011

Is that pic supposed to look appetizing?
Yuk

[fredpoet]

03:25 AM on 06/11/2011

Of course the pic is supposed to look appetizing. But when you get to Micky-Dee's, you'll be hard pressed to find any fish buried inside the bun, much less as shown boldly hanging outside the edges. It's bad enough that they probably have it sitting in a drawer for hours, and when a customer orders, they simply nuke the pre-cooked sandwich for 5 seconds, and instant fast food. A lot of places are now copying McDonalds' fresh from the drawer formula for fast food. It used to be Burger King burgers were hot from the flame-broiling grill to your bun. Now they're cooked whatever way, stuck in a drawer for however many hours, and nuked to perfection to satisfy your order. At least Wendy's hasn't succumbed to such compromising tactics. Not yet anyway...

[ecurbwl]

09:24 PM on 06/10/2011

Define, sustainable fish ! Is this that stuff that's scraped from the bottom of the oil-spill, infested Gulf of Mexico, ground into a pulp and formed into a square fish patty ??? And you call that crap a fish sandwich ??? I'm surprized this can be associated as part of the food chain.

[huff-puff-bluff]

09:34 PM on 06/10/2011

YES..that is what McDonalds would call "sustainable".

[This American]

10:44 PM on 06/10/2011

This is defined through the Marine Stewardship Council, an independent group that audits both the biological management and the environmental impact of a fishery. It is not easy to earn MSC certification, and significant environmental benefits have been created by nations trying to earn certification of their fisheries. The collectivist wing of the environmental movement does not appreciate the good done here because it involves voluntary cooperation and the profit motive. No UN involvement and no government coercion is involved so they do not support environmental progress of this type.

[ecurbwl]

12:42 AM on 06/11/2011

You should be a Politician.

[decyle]

08:30 PM on 06/10/2011

Looks good. I wish they served it here.

[This American]

10:47 PM on 06/10/2011

They do. It is Alaska Pollock, the largest fishery in the U.S. and quite likely the best managed fishery in the world. I am not a big fan of government but I can honestly say that NOAA has done an A+ job with this one since 1976 when the 200 mile limit went into effect.