British chef Mitch Tonks lands ambassador role for ocean-friendly seafood charity

Chef Mitch Tonks announces his ambassador role with The Marine Stewardship Council - an NGO that sets a standard for sustainable fishing around the world. 

Fishmonger and restaurateur Mitch Tonks has spent most of his adult life on a mission to convert more people to eating fresh and sustainable fish.

Overfishing threatens about one third of the world's fish stocks. British cod’s near-collapse a decade ago shows how easy we can take our seafood for granted. Thankfully, our much-loved British cod was nursed back to health last year and now carries the MSC blue fish label.

Consumers and diners just have to look out for the blue fish label when dining out or shopping to be certain it’s from traceable and sustainable sources.

Mitch says: “Ocean health has become the focus of increasing concerns, and plastic is only a small part of a big issue. People forget that fish is wild caught and harvested. To imagine that in 50 years’ time, my kids couldn't eat wild seafood? I'd be so sad. I wouldn't want to be part of that.”

“If someone gave you a choice and said: ‘do you want to eat this fish forever?’ Or ‘do you want to take this fish until the planets completely ruined?’ I think everyone would make the right choice.”

Mitch is not alone - recent statistics show that 77% of UK seafood consumers agree that in order to save the oceans, shoppers should only consume seafood from sustainable sources.

Mitch Tonks sources certified sustainable seafood for his seafood Rockfish restaurants. With over 30% of seafood mislabelled globally, the blue fish label also assures customers that the fish sold has been responsibly caught using sustainable methods. It also means it can be traced back to the fishermen that caught it!

 “Consumers want to know that they’re eating sustainable seafood. They also want to know more about where their food comes from. They don’t want to get caught up in the detail, they want to know that that’s been done for them - that’s where the Marine Stewardship Council come into play. When consumers see a restaurant or a business with the blue fish label on display, they know that the work has been done for them.”

George Clark, Senior Commercial Manager at MSC, says: “We’re delighted to have Mitch Tonks as our culinary expert and ambassador; being a seafood advocate, an ocean lover and with a true passion for sustainable eating, there’s no better person to tell our story about eating and cooking sustainable seafood and the importance of ensuring fish for future generations.”

Not only is Mitch Tonks a culinary seafood expert, chef and face of seafood cuisine in the UK, he is owner of the six Rockfish restaurants; award-winning Seahorse restaurant in Dartmouth; and Mitch writes monthly for the National Geographic and is author of six seafood cookbooks. Mitch Tonks Seafood Academy in South Devon helps local students on the seafood coast learn about provenance and cooking seafood.

The Marine Stewardship Council is an NGO that sets a standard for sustainable fishing. The MSC blue fish label on a seafood products and restaurant menus means that it’s fully traceable to a sustainable source.