GBBO winner urges consumers to try more fish

TV chef, food columnist and Great British Bake Off Winner John Whaite, is backing a Twitter campaign urging consumers to embrace the breadth and variety of sustainable fish available over the counter and caught by the UK fishing fleet.

The campaign dubbed #CatchOfTheDay is being run by the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO), the body which represents fishermen’s groups, individual fishermen and producer organisations in England, Wales and Northern Island, to champion the diversity of the UK fishing fleet and encourage consumers to be more adventurous with their choice of fish, trying species outside of the ‘seafood staples’ of cod, haddock and salmon.

The campaign is calling for the fishing industry, chefs, producers and fish lovers in the UK to share their ‘Catch Of The Day’ photos on Twitter from 16-20 March with the hashtag #CatchOfTheDay.

This initiative is being launched as part of the NFFO’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness of the growing variety of sustainable species in UK waters and the important strides which have been made by the industry, particularly in the last 10 years, to improve gear and catch methods to in turn, boost stock levels.  According to the latest ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) statistics, there has been a 50% reduction in fishing pressure across all commercial stocks in the North Atlantic since 2000.

In 2013, 624,000 tonnes of fish were landed in the UK, generating a £718m economic contribution from the industry.  Over half (52%) of people in the UK eat seafood at least once a week, though 62% rarely strayed away from trying alternative species, due to not knowing how to prepare it and not liking the look of it.

As a result of the findings, celebrity chef and food columnist John Whaite has worked with the NFFO to create a series of recipe cards to encourage consumers to consider cooking with sustainable species of fish, proving they are just as versatile as the ‘seafood staples’, whilst supporting the work of UK fishermen. Consumers are then being urged to try John’s recipes and tweet photos of their finished dishes with the hashtag #CatchOfTheDay.

John said: “There is a huge variety of fish available from UK waters and it’s such a shame that people don’t embrace this more. Cooking with different kinds of fish brings variety to our diets and also introduces us to new tastes and dishes.”

“As an ingredient, fish is incredibly versatile and there is nearly always a sustainable alternative to any species. #CatchOfTheDay is all about celebrating the hard work of the UK fishing industry and celebrating the incredible range of species available from our waters. I really hope people will be inspired by the recipes I’ve created and will try some different kinds of fish!”

Tony Delahunty, Chairman of the NFFO said: “The idea behind #CatchofTheDay is to give individuals the opportunity to recognise the fishing industry and its contribution to UK life through one simple tweet. We hope it will be a fun way of getting across a serious message not only about the importance of the industry in providing a healthy, sustainable food source to a growing population, but also its inherent commitment to ensuring its future through sustainable methods.”

To get involved in #CatchofTheDay, tweet your photos with the hashtag during the week 16-20 March. Visit the NFFO website for further information: http://nffo.org.uk/