BBC presenter and naturalist Chris Packham has called on a British restaurant giant to stop serving farmed salmon.
Wagamama, which serves Japanese-inspired Asian food at more than 170 sites across the UK, is being pressured to drop farmed salmon from its menus.
Packham, the president of the RSPCA, called farmed salmon an “environmental disaster” – and more than 100,000 people have signed a petition urging the restaurant chain to take action.
The petition claims that salmon farming sees "chemical pesticides, fish faeces, and diseases flowing from salmon farms [that] can have fatal consequences for other marine life".
The petition also claims that some salmon farms use feed sourced from West African waters and contribute to food crises in the region.
However, a Wagamama spokesperson said their salmon comes from Norwegian and Scottish suppliers that do not use feed from West Africa.
They added that, by the end of 2024, Wagamama will only use Scottish salmon from RSPCA-approved sites. Industry body Salmon Scotland said that no Scottish sites use feed sourced from West African fisheries.
Campaigners said a “growing movement” of restaurateurs and caterers were turning away from farmed salmon, pointing to Wimbledon going salmon-free as one example.
They claim that damage inflicted by farmed salmon includes waste food, pesticides, and faecal matter flowing into marine ecosystems, as well as mass fish die offs due to overcrowding and disease.
The petition was coordinated by campaign groups Feedback, WildFish, and Eko.
The groups pointed to Wagamama’s stated company philosophy, which says: “‘Kaizen’ meaning ‘continual improvement’ is the Japanese philosophy we live by.
“It inspires us to do better in all that we do. To make small positive choices every day for big change. We’ve been practising kaizen since 1992, when we opened as a single restaurant in London’s Bloomsbury, inspired by fast-paced Japanese ramen bars.”
Wagamama’s website adds: “We believe in small choices for big change. Because progress takes time and begins with all of us.”
Packham said: “Farmed salmon is an environmental and social disaster.
“It’s time for Wagamama to step up to their sustainability credentials and take farmed salmon off the menu.”
Rachel Mulrenan, the director of WildFish (Scotland), said: “The damage being done by open-net salmon farming to our environment, the health and welfare of wild and farmed fish, and global communities is clear to see.
“This unsustainable industry has lost its social licence; the sheer number of UK and international chefs and restaurants choosing to remove farmed salmon from their menus is testament to this.
“If Wagamama is truly committed to ‘an earth positive future’ then it too must commit to taking farmed salmon off its menu.”
A Wagamama spokesperson said: “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 GlobalGAP, 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.”
A Salmon Scotland spokesperson said: “Scottish salmon farmers provide the highest welfare standards anywhere in the world for the animals in their care, and are independently certified by RSPCA Assured.
“No Scottish salmon farmers use marine ingredients sourced from West African fisheries.
“Scottish salmon is recognised as the best in the world, and there is increasing demand from restaurants and chefs for our nutritious fish raised in the waters off the Highlands and islands.”
