UK RSPCA head joins Off the Table campaign

Respected broadcaster and UK RSPCA president Chris Packham has taken to Instagram to call on UK Japanese restaurant chain Wagamama to take farmed salmon Off the Table. He wrote that:

The impacts on the planet are indefensible and cannot be mitigated. Monstrous factories are springing up along the African coast, ravaging local fish populations and boiling them down into oil and powder by the millions of tonnes– robbing locals of their livelihoods & leading to overfishing.

All this is done to feed salmon on overcrowded salmon farms in Europe, so that big restaurant chains like wagamama can keep the declining Atlantic Salmon on the menu.

Packham has previously called for a halt to the expansion of Scottish farms, though his statement was swiftly contradicted by an RSPCA spokesperson.

Update 13 July 2024: a spokesperson for wagamama contacted NOFF to provide the following statement:

"Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at wagamama, including how we source from and work with our suppliers, which is why all our salmon is sustainably sourced from Scottish and Norwegian fisheries that do not use feed from West Africa. 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. 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. Our current procurement process means that by the end of 2024 all future wagamama salmon will be sourced only from Scottish fisheries which are in addition RSPCA accredited. At wagamama we believe in continual improvement and are always looking to expand our sustainability goals. 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."

NOFF has previously questioned the validity of GlobalGAP certification and challenged RSPCA Australia on their involvement in accreditation.