Since September 1 there is sustainable fish with MSC-certification on the menu of Dutch airline KLM. For KLM this is the next step in realizing more sustainable flights. The Hake served from the South African Cape comes through Fishes, a fish chain which focuses on high quality fish derived from sustainable fisheries around the world. Fishes closely cooperates with the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and the World Wildlife Fund on helping companies with sustainable sourcing. Last year Fishes was the first fishmonger in continental Europe to receive a MSC-certificate. This international independent ecolabel guarantees sustainable fishery management and traceability of seafood.
Initiator and director of Fishes, Bart van Olphen, began in 2002 with a new type of fishing store. Embraced by fish lovers, soon more shops opened. People became more aware of the ‘origins’ of the fish and started to realize that the survival of some fish species is under threat. Supermarkets showed their interest in Fishes, first in the Netherlands, but then the rest of Europe followed. In the meantime Fishes became the market leader in MSC-certified products. Progress continues, and now through the cooperation with Fishes, KLM is the first MSC-certified airline in the world.
All the efforts made for a more sustainable fish policy were awarded with a Boston Seafood Champion Award, which Bart van Olphen received for being the most sustainable seafood entrepreneur in the world.
Bart van Olphen ‘It all began with an romantic ideal of catching fish with small boats, who do not damage the environment. Catching fish from healthy fish populations, which result in high quality fish. That is how Fishes began. Fish should be tasty, fresh and sustainable.’
