In 2007, more than 91% of all McDonald’s fish originated from fisheries with a stock status of green or yellow
A Filet -O- Fish you can feel good about
If we had to pick a single product that represents great strides towards assuring the sustainability of our supply over the last several years, it would be the Filet –O- Fish sandwich. Our Sustainable Fisheries program defines sustainability standards that guide all of our purchases worldwide for wild-caught fish.
For example, McDonald's Japan and McDonald's Thailand advised their suppliers in 2007 to cease purchasing Russian Alaskan Pollack (RAP) for the production of Filet-O-Fish in their markets because those fisheries did not address sustainability concerns. Suppliers to McDonald's China transitioned away from RAP this year, so none remains in our System today.
Our fisheries guidelines were developed in partnership with Conservation International and our key fish suppliers, and are currently implemented collaboratively with the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership. The guidelines outline clear, measurable criteria that rate currently approved and potential future fisheries with the latest scientific information.
Ratings address three criteria:
- Fisheries management practices - (e.g., compliance and monitoring)
- Fish stock status - (e.g., biomass levels)
- Marine environment and biodiversity conservation - (e.g., protecting vulnerable marine habitats)
This system is designed to help identify areas for improvement and provides McDonald's with a sustainability snapshot for key source fisheries. If a fishery shows signs that something may be amiss, we first support improvements, but if those improvements are not made within agreed timeframes, we will cease sourcing from that fishery.
Our Global Fish Forum - a mix of McDonald's supply chain and sustainability leaders, fish purchasing managers from our local markets and representation from the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership - reviews the ratings, shares updates on global sourcing, investigates alternatives for stressed species and develops recommendations for future species usage.
External validation
McDonald’s standards are consistent with the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) Principles of environmentally responsible and sustainable fishing. The vast majority of McDonald’s fish is already sourced from MSC certified fisheries. Working with the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, McDonald’s is supporting efforts of remaining supply fisheries to seek additional verification of their own sustainability through MSC or other credible, third-party certification programs.