Grocer calls on top chefs to follow suit
Asda has become the first big supermarket to ban sales of monkfish in all its stores because of concerns over plunging fish levels.

Asda sustainable and ethical sourcing manager Chris Brown said: 'We are concerned about some of the catching methods that are used and the impact this has on the marine ecosystem. Monkfish are slow to reproduce, therefore the species is more at risk than others and more needs to be done to protect it.'

The retailer is also calling on leading chefs Rick Stein, Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay to support the move.

Brown said: 'We would like to see celebrity chefs take monkfish off their menus until the long-term viability of this species is clearer. Top chefs can drive sales of ingredients sky-high overnight simply by using them in their TV programmes or mentioning them in interviews. We would like to see them use this power to encourage people not to buy monkfish, or any other vulnerable species, so that we can protect stocks for generations to come.'

Greenpeace spokesman Oliver Knowles said: 'Asda's decision to stop selling monkfish demonstrates the company's serious commitment to sourcing only sustainable seafood. With concerns growing over the management of this particularly vulnerable species, this type of precautionary approach shows real leadership and should be noted by the other major supermarkets.'

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