Michael Caines calls on restaurants to use sustainable alternatives to industrially-farmed salmon

Lympstone Manor chef Michael Caines is championing the use of sustainable fish in his restaurant and has called for other cooks to follow suit.

The chef is the face of the hotel and restaurant group Relais & Chateaux's initiative launched last week on the UN World Oceans Day on Saturday 8th June. 

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He said that at the group's restaurants, chefs have a duty to serve fresh, sustainable and seasonal produce.

"Not only does it have a better flavour profile but we’re helping to safeguard the future of eating," he said. 

He said he considered it an achievement if he could convince diners at home to substitute industrially-farmed salmon with local, seasonal and relatively unknown fish like hake or gurnard. 

This year's World Oceans Day, a UN conservation initiative focused on eliminating plastic pollution, may that be through reducing our reliance on  plastic, taking part in beach clean-up days or donating to charities working to protect marine wildlife. 

Only buying sustainably-sourced fish is crucial to the protection of the oceans - home to 95 percent of all life on earth. The Marine Conservation Society's guide is a good way of checking what impact your choice of fish has on the environment. 

Chefs, do you try to source seasonal, local fish? How do you monitor the sustainability of the fish you buy? What do you like to use? Is it hake? Gurnard? Dab? Mackerel? Pollack? Leave your replies in the comments!