As part of a campaign to transform Cambridge’s impact on our depleting fish stocks, catering departments from 15 academic venues, who between them prepare hundreds of thousands of meals per year for students, Fellows and conference and events guests will now serve solely sustainable fish on their menus.
The Colleges whICH have signed the sustainable fish pledge are: Churchill, Christ’s, Darwin, Fitzwilliam, Girton, Jesus, Madingley Hall, Magdalene, Peterhouse, Robinson, Selwyn, Sidney Sussex, St John’s, Trinity Hall, and The University Centre. They have each committed to serving only sustainable fish on their menus such as Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fish and those from the Marine Conservation Society’s ‘fish to eat’ list.
Bev Sedley from Cambridge Sustainable Food said: “Without these important measures to promote the consumption of sustainable fish, some scientists estimate that, at the current rates of decline, most of the world’s fish stocks could collapse in our lifetimes. We are delighted to have so many of the Cambridge Colleges on-board and, with more pledges in the pipeline, this means that Cambridge is very near to achieving its first fish star for higher education, bringing the city as a whole closer to becoming a Sustainable Fish City.”
David Oakley, Chairman of the University of Cambridge Catering Managers’ Committee and Catering Manager at Churchill College, said: “The Colleges are keen to support and make a difference to the marine ecosystem and fishery industry for the long term by taking direct responsibility over our purchasing behaviour and the fish that we serve from our kitchens. Working together across the group of 15 participating colleges, we are pleased to be giving our support to the ‘Sustainable Fish City’ campaign.”
Ruth Westcott of the national “All Aboard: Sustainable Fish City” campaign, said: "It is fantastic to see 15 of the Cambridge Colleges taking action on sustainable fish already. They are incredibly important in helping Cambridge to achieve its ambition of becoming a Sustainable Fish City, because they serve so many thousands of diners each each day. The same people also eat out in restaurants, have children in schools, and use other local catering services, and they will soon want to see sustainable fish on other menus across the city. We hope that the Colleges will be an inspiration to others in the city to follow suit.”
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