A petition led by Feedback and WildFish is pushing U.K. restaurant chain Wagamama to remove farmed salmon from its menu.
The petition, signed by more than 100,000 people, is pushing the chain to drop farmed salmon after the two campaign groups “revealed damage inflicted by farmed salmon on the environment, wild fish populations, and farmed salmon welfare,” a release from the organizations said. The groups said Wagamama’s use of farmed salmon runs contrary to the restaurant chain’s commitment to the environment.
“Wagamama’s website states that the company is taking action to ‘tread more lightly on the earth,’ as part of its philosophy of kaizen, or ‘continuous improvement’ in Japanese. While the chain has made an effort to increase its plant-based menu options, their menu includes three dishes made with farmed salmon,” the campaigns said. “The campaign was launched after Wagamama failed to respond to several letters from NGOs asking for clarification on its farmed salmon sourcing standards.”
The research by Feedback that led to the petition pointed out farmed salmon uses millions of tons of wild-caught fish in animal feed each year and claimed that a significant share of that comes from Northwest Africa, allegedly threatening regional food security. It also claimed farmed salmon is affecting wild salmon populations and contributing to the decline of Atlantic salmon populations.
As part of the ongoing campaign, supporters are posting negative reviews of Wagamama on TripAdvisor, calling on it to stop serving salmon and saying they will boycott the restaurant until it does so.
“I encourage Wagamama to follow in the footsteps of other sustainable food chains for the betterment of people, animals, and the planet. Until this change happens, unfortunately, I don't think my family, friends, or myself will be eating at Wagamama restaurants anymore,” one campaign supporter wrote.
Feedback and WildFish’s campaign gained a prominent supporter when Wildlife TV presenter and conservationist Chris Packham joined in the calls for Wagamama to drop farmed salmon.
“Farmed salmon is an environmental and social disaster,” Packham said. “It’s time for Wagamama to step up to their sustainability credentials and take farmed salmon off the menu.”
In a statement sent to SeafoodSource, a Wagamama spokesperson said the company purposely sources salmon from sources that do not use feed from West Africa and that have third-party certifications.
“These fisheries are accredited by GlobalG.A.P., the world’s leading standard for seafood farmed with care. They set strict requirements for responsible seafood farming that require producers to farm with care for fish, the environment and the people on and around the farm," the spokesperson said. “We regularly ensure that all our suppliers adhere to our strict sourcing policy, as well as conducting routine audits and site visits to verify compliance, traceability and transparency."
The company said by the end of 2024, all of its salmon will be from Scottish sources that are also RSPCA accredited to ensure the welfare of the salmon it uses.
“At Wagamama, we believe in continual improvement and are always looking to expand our sustainability goals," the spokesperson said. "The part we must play as a brand is extremely important and the small decisions we make can create big change and whilst progress takes time, it begins with all of us.”
