Caught out: Supermarket Scorecard

Ranking supermarkets on their efforts to tackle the use of wild fish in their aquaculture supply chains

We examined supermarkets’ corporate practices and policies, as well as their supply chains and transparency; we also looked at how they market, position and sell different farmed seafood in-store, comparing each against a set of 14 criteria

The scores are based on retailers’ responses, desk-based research and in-store questionnaires

We gave each supermarket a total score out of 100%

Published in partnership with Feedback, this report scores the top 10 UK supermarkets against a set of criteria designed to assess how effectively they are addressing the ocean sustainability implications of the farmed seafood they sell, which remains largely reliant on the use of wild-caught fish in feed. The report finds that ALDI is the worst-performing supermarket in this area, with policies and practices in relation to the sustainability of its farmed fish that do not live up to the broader sustainability image it is cultivating. Tesco was found to be the best-performing supermarket, albeit with a middling score of 60%; seven retailers, including high-end Waitrose, scored less than 30%. The report calls on all retailers to recognise the risks posed by their aquaculture supply chains, and commit to measures to phase out the use of wild-caught fish in farmed-fish feed, setting a target to achieve this goal of no later than 2025.

Download the full report