Singapore Supermarket Chain, Cold Storage, Stops Sale Of Shark Fin Products

AsianScientist (Oct. 3, 2011) – Popular Singapore supermarket chain Cold Storage has joined the WWF Singapore Sustainable Seafood Group with a commitment to stop selling shark fin and shark products in its 42 outlets across the country.

WWF Singapore Sustainable Seafood Group was launched in April this year and provides businesses with the guidance they need to source and promote sustainable seafood while also playing a role in protecting the marine environment.

“We want to play our part towards caring for the environment. Our team is committed to sourcing for quality, sustainable seafood and other products in our efforts to achieve long-term sustainability and marine conservation,” said Victor Chia, CEO of Cold Storage Supermarket.

As the first supermarket in Singapore to implement a “no shark fins policy,” it is also the nation’s first retail food chain to source and offer WWF-recommended sustainable seafood and offer Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified seafood such as the hake fillet from South Africa.

The supermarket is a subsidiary of Dairy Farm, a leading pan-Asian food retailer that operates more than 5,300 outlets and employs some 80,000 people in the Asia-Pacific region.

“For a nation where seafood is a popular meal choice, Cold Storage’s commitment offers consumers an opportunity to make choices that will protect fish stocks and endangered marine species over the long term,” said Amy Ho, Managing Director of WWF Singapore.

Presently, SODEXO Singapore and Fairmont Singapore are members of the WWF Singapore Sustainable Seafood Group.

An average of 100,000 tons of seafood is consumed each year in Singapore, making it one of the biggest seafood consumers in the Asia-Pacific region. Most of this is imported from the Coral Triangle, the world’s most diverse marine environment.

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Source: World Wide Fund for Nature.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.