Responsible Fishing & Sustainability
Protecting our oceans for the future
New Wave has a firm policy to buy seafood only from well-managed, sustainable sources in order to protect our oceans for the future. It also means you can be assured of fresher, better-quality fish. New Wave Seafood (our parent company) is MSC-certified. Also, we regularly consult and act upon the sustainability ratings listed in the MCS (Marine Conservation Society) ‘Good Fish Guide’.
Full traceability, full confidence
- We have full traceability on all our seafood and know exactly where and how our fish and shellfish has been caught or harvested.
SAFEGUARDING FISH STOCKS & FOOD SECURITY
- We promote fish outside the spawning season, to allow the stocks to replenish.
- We are constantly changing our menus depending on what fish are in their prime and at their best on a particular day. Not only do you receive the freshest, highest-quality fish, but offering variety takes the pressure off more extensively fished species.
Meet Stuart, our lobster fisherman, and Joe, our scallop diver, and discover how they fish sustainably and why they love what they do.
RESPONSIBLE FISHING & ETHICAL FARMS
- Our wild fish is caught using sustainable methods, on small day-boats and line-caught wherever possible. We avoid types of fishing that can result in a lot of ‘bycatch’ (unwanted, untargeted catch), overfishing, and disturbance to the sea bed and other sea life. Fish caught on small boats is fresher, as they spend less time at sea than larger ones and the fish is sold and delivered to us sooner.
- Our lobster and crab are caught in pots and traps – the most sustainable, selective fishing method.
- We buy farmed fish and shellfish only from ethical, fully accredited, BAP*-certified farms, ensuring it meets the highest health and safety standards. *BAP = Best Aquaculture Practices
- All our molluscs come from Grade ‘A’-certified beds, ensuring they are safe to eat.
SUPPORTING FISHERMEN & FISHING COMMUNITIES
- We support traditional fishermen and small-scale, independent fishing businesses, which have been at the heart of local coastal communities for centuries.
REDUCING OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT & WASTE
- Most of our fish is transported by road or sea; very little is air freighted, cutting down on food miles. Our delivery routes are carefully planned to reduce our carbon footprint.
- We are committed to minimising waste. We use fish bones for making soups and sauces. All other waste is sent to processing plants, where it is repurposed in the production of fishmeal, fertilizers and fish oil production, as well as other applications in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.
WE REFUSE TO SELL
Superb quality and responsible sourcing are at the heart of our business. As a result, there are certain species, or fish caught using the wrong methods or in the wrong waters, that we will not sell.
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Endangered or at risk
We will not sell the following wild-caught fish, as they are currently considered to be endangered or at risk:
Blue-fin tuna – all species, including Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus, except for one strictly enforced new hook and line fishery in Cornwall), Pacific blue-fin tuna (T. orientalis) and Southern blue-fin tuna (T. maccoyii)
Blue marlin (Makaira nigricans)
Common ling (Molva molva)
Conger eel (Conger conger)
European eel (Anguilla anguilla)
Grouper (Epinephelinae family)
Parrotfish (Scaridae and Scarinae family)
Rays – Blond ray (Raja brachyura), Sandy ray (Leucoraja circularis), Shagreen ray (Leucoraja fullonica), Small-eyed ray (Raja microocellata), Starry ray (Amblyraja radiata)
Sharks – all species, including Dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula), Porbeagle (Lamna nasus) and Tope (Galeorhinus galeus)
Skate – all species, including Blue skate (Dipturus batis), Longnosed skate (Dipturus oxyrinchus), White skate (Rostroraja alba) and Flapper skate (Dipturus intermedius)
Sturgeon (Acipenser, Huso species); farmed sturgeon is sustainable and used to produce our caviar
Tub gurnard (Triglia or Chelidonichthys lucerna)
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Wrong place, wrong method and wrong size
We will not sell any fish or shellfish that are not caught in the right place using the correct methods, or are the wrong size.
For instance, Dover sole from the North Sea, Celtic Sea, Bristol Channel, and western English Channel is currently listed as sustainable on the MCS ‘Good Fish Guide’, whereas sole caught in the eastern English Channel is not.
In accordance with Cornwall IFCA (Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority) bylaws, we will never buy from a trawler longer than 18.28 metres or Marine Protected Areas which are fully or partially closed to bottom towed gear.
In addition, we will never buy fish or shellfish that contravene the minimum sizes specified by the Cornwall IFCA.
The ‘Good Fish Guide’ is constantly being updated, and we keep up with developments as the MCS’s sustainability ratings are amended.
