The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), which grants the MSC ecolabel for sustainable fishing, awarded Kesko (K Group) the MSC Nordic Golden Fish – Retailer Award at the Nordic Seafood Futures event in Malmö, Sweden, on 7 October. Kesko was one of eleven finalists, which came from different Nordic countries.
The Retailer Award is presented to a grocery retailer that includes MSC-certified fish in its range.
The reason for Kesko's recognition was, among other things, its clear leadership in the Finnish market in terms of the breadth and volume of its certified fish range. Thanks to continuous investment, the number of MSC-labelled products has grown at a substantial and steady rate year after year.
The decision to award Kesko was also justified by the fact that it is the only Nordic retailer among this year’s finalists whose volume of certified fish has grown continuously throughout the period under review, and that it also has the highest volume of MSC-labelled fish per national capita of all Nordic grocery retailers. In addition, the justifications highlighted Kesko’s practice of removing uncertified offerings from its range when certification of a fishery is temporarily suspended.
“We at K Group want to promote the protection of fish stocks and provide our customers with clear information to support their choices. K-food stores offer a wide range of sustainability-certified fish and seafood products, from the tinned foods aisle and the freezer to the fresh fish counter. When a customer chooses an MSC-certified product, they can trust that it has been caught in accordance with the criteria of an independent certification programme. The award we have received is a wonderful recognition of our long-term and consistent work to develop our range of certified fish and seafood products,” says Anna Blässar, Sustainability Manager at K Group.
“I am particularly delighted that Kesko was one of the winners. It shows that we in Finland have done truly pioneering work in responsible fish products, and that sustainable fish and seafood are already part of everyday life for Finnish consumers. By its example, K Group demonstrates that caring for the environment is not merely an obligation but also a competitive advantage that attracts environmentally conscious and responsible consumers,” says Johanna Vepsä, MSC’s Country Director for Finland and the Baltic States.
About MSC
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international, independent non-profit organisation that operates a global certification programme for sustainable wild-capture fishing. The blue MSC ecolabel indicates that the fish comes from a certified, sustainable and traceable fishery.
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