Fishermen and chefs from 12 countries unite to support sustainable seafood in the MSC’s Ocean Cookbook 2022 Twelve fishermen from around the world – including a Scottish haddock fisherman - feature in a new sustainable seafood cookbook from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the organisation responsible for the world’s leading sustainable seafood ecolabel.
The MSC’s Ocean Cookbook 2022 is a unique collaboration between twelve global chefs and the MSC certified fishermen responsible for sourcing the seafood used in their recipes. They are united in the belief that sustainable fishing is a must if we are to protect our oceans.
One of the fishermen to feature in the unique cookbook is Andrew Bremner, a haddock fisherman from the Scottish Fisheries Sustainable Accreditation Group (SFSAG).
He appears with chef Mitch Tonks for the UK’s contribution.
Mitch Tonk's haddock dish by David Loftus
Bremner is responsible for catching the haddock used in Tonks’ Scottish haddock recipe and said of his commitment to sustainable fishing: “I’m 29, it’s in my interest to fish sustainably, to guarantee a future in the job. I want to be doing this for 30 to 40 years. This has to do with the science - with haddock we are only taking out a safe level. We are not even scratching the surface of what is there.”
Trawling for haddock by Nigel Millard
Katie Keay, Senior Fisheries Outreach Manager, UK & Ireland, said of the project: “It is fantastic that the Ocean Cookbook is spotlighting the fishermen in our MSC certified fisheries, who work really hard to ensure that the seafood we love is sourced responsibly. It is becoming increasingly important for people to be aware of the ocean to plate journeys of their favourite fish species, and the cookbook does just that. I hope it will inspire people to get creative and make more sustainable choices in the new year.”
Umar Papalia, a tuna fisherman from the Buru handline yellowfin tuna fishery in the Maluku islands, Indonesia, also features. Chef Ari Galih produced a tuna fish curry for the cookbook using Umar’s sustainable catch, and they are both passionate about the future of the species and the fishing industry. Papalia said: “Our wellbeing is supported by the sustainability of fisheries, let’s work together to protect our ocean health and marine resources as well as prosperity for all small scale fishers in the world.”
The Ocean Cookbook will be available from this link from January 6, 2022: https://www.msc.org/uk/ocean-cookbook-2022