Lidl Portugal has become the first supermarket operating in Portugal that stocks only ‘sustainable origin’ cod carrying the Marine Stewardship Council stamp of approval.
Portugal remains cod-crazy with the fish accounting for 20% of the total consumed in the country, a large percentage of annual sales occurring in the run-up to Christmas, around 25,000 tonnes.
The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea has recommended quotas for some cod areas but due to intensive fishing, several populations of cod remain overexploited.
The attribution of the Council’s certification to Lidl Portugal’s ‘Três Velas’ cod range means the fish supplied are caught under the highest international standards of good practice for sustainability and are traceable from the fishing boat to the consumer.
Lidl has been working closely with the Marine Stewardship Council and leads in certification in the Portuguese and Spanish markets.
Lidl Portugal is supplied with its certified cod by Riberalves, a Portuguese company and main supplier in the country.
Lidl Portugal and Riberalves have worked together on bacalhau (dried cod) and wet cod with the Três Velas brand accounting for about 20% of the total volume of cod produced by the company.
In addition, Três Velas is exported via Lidl Portugal to Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland.