A Restaurateur and fishmonger whose eatery has been praised for its “outstanding commitment” to protecting the marine environment has spoken about the pitfalls of sustainability.
Sankey’s Seafood Brasserie and Oyster Bar in Mount Ephraim, Tunbridge Wells, was rated joint-first along with Ramond Blanc’s Le Manoir and Walnut in London in sustainability champions Fish2Fork’s league table of responsible restaurants.
Owner Matthew Sankey said he has always supported sustainable fishing and been aware of the effect the industry has on the seas and on marine life. But he warned diners that eating fish responsibly was not as simple as it is sometimes made to appear.
“We’ve been campaigning for as long as we’ve been running the place,” he said. “It is very important because these experts are discovering that more and more fish are at risk because of over fishing.
“As a fish restaurant it is our responsibility to ensure the fish we serve has been caught responsibly.”
The Fish2Fork website was created by Charles Clover, the environmental journalist responsible for the shocking documentary The End of the Line, which highlighted how some 80 per cent of world fish stocks are fully or over-exploited and some species, such as the bluefin tuna or beluga sturgeon, are now listed as critically endangered.
Sankey’s was praised for using organic farmed Gigha halibut, Dover sole from a recognized and certified fishery and Loch Duart salmon, which does its best to avoid fishmeal from unsustainable stocks.
Mr Sankey, who also owns Sankey’s Fishmongers in Vale Road, which takes the same approach to sustainability, said: “Talking about over fishing, if I use Dover sole as an example because it is an endangered species; it is if you buy it from the Irish Sea, but we get it from a certified sustainable source.
“Halibut is also endangered in the Pacific, the halibut we serve in the restaurant is from a certified organic fishery.”
He said the response from customers to the restaurant’s menu was completely split.
“We have some people who come in and the first thing they ask is ‘I hope this is all sustainable’ or they go completely mental because there’s not skate on the menu.”
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