How we fish sustainably

It is great to enjoy a delicious portion of Salmon, but it is even better to enjoy a delicious portion of sustainable caught Salmon. Sustainable fishing is the practice of fishing with care and respect for the environment so that it can be enjoyed by future generations. It involves using techniques that minimize the impact on fish populations, as well as preserving habitats and ecosystems.
 
We, at Seafood Friday make sure that our seafood comes from sustainable sources. We stay in close contact with our sources and only source from them when knowing that their fishing practices are sustainable. For example, small fishing boats and family-owned oyster and mussel farms supply us weekly with the best seafood from the oceans. We discuss catch methods, seasons, production facilities, and if there are any sustainability certifications available.  

MSC and ASC-certified fisheries

You might have heard of the MSC and ASC certificates before but what do they mean? They are well-known in the seafood wholesale business as an important sustainability label, but nowadays it is also an upcoming label in retail. MSC and ASC are sustainability certificates issued by a dependent organization and controlled by 3rd parties like SGS. MSC is the certificate for wild-caught fish and ASC is the certificate for farmed fish. These 3rd parties are collaborating with fisheries and distributors to drive the market for sustainable seafood. They make sure that the caught fish population stays healthy and check if the fisherman is compliant with the fishing rules of the local governments. At Seafood Friday, we have an annual audit to secure control of sustainable seafood supply.

Know your suppliers

If you are planning to visit the Netherlands and are a seafood lover, please give us a call or email and we are happy to introduce you to our suppliers. Would you like to see an oyster farm or do you want to enjoy fresh steamed mussels in August? No problem, just let us know. We are very transparent about our sources and are always willing to tell you more about your freshly caught fish and shellfish. The founder of Seafood Friday (Martin Rijk) was born in a fishermen’s town, called Yerseke in the Netherlands. He believes that is always best to supply your seafood from these local sources. Trustful and stable sustainable supply is important to us. It is something you can only achieve when you have long-term relationships with the fishermen and farmers.

Catch by the seasons

We often hear the following questions: ‘’Is fresh Dover sole all year round available?’’ or ‘’When is the best time to purchase Cod?’’. At Seafood Friday, we always make sure we provide our seafood in its seasons. This is to ensure that the seafood is caught sustainably and of is high quality. For example, we do not supply Plaice fish in the period January till May, this is the season when plaice has fish roe. We do not fish them so that they can procreate naturally in peace. In this same period, the Atlantic cod is at its best and that’s why we promote the Atlantic cod during these early months of the year. We are always happy to explain to you in person about the right seasons for the specific fish. When you follow the natural seasons, you have top-quality fish and you can enjoy it most sustainably!  

Pre-order and packaging

We try to keep our supply chains as short as possible and we also strive to give you the freshest seafood possible. This is one of the main reasons why we try to keep as few as possible fresh stocks in our warehouse. This is why we have you purchase your seafood on Monday, as we will buy it directly overnight at the auctions in Europe. Besides keeping it fresh, we also want to avoid food waste, which is perfectly possible this way.

For our packaging, we decided to vacuum pack our fresh fish. The reason why we do this is since this is the most consumer friendly packaging for when you receive it at home. If you do not have the time to eat the fish right away, it is not an issue since vacuum-packed fish can be easily put in the freezer. When you freeze fish, it barely loses any quality of taste, texture, and freshness. Furthermore, vacuum-packed fish is protected against outdoor bacteria, this keeps the seafood longer fresh and of top quality for your delicious dinner.