Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts announced it has received full Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) seafood Chain of Custody certification (CoC) for all its 53 properties across Mainland China and Hong Kong; As the first hotel group in Asia, the Shangri-La group initiated the certification programme as part of its sustainable sourcing strategy and commitment to protect future seafood supplies and make a positive impact on the environment.

The MSC runs the only wild-capture fisheries certification and ecolabelling programme that meets best practice requirements set by both the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO) and ISEAL, the global membership association for sustainability standards. The MSC is also the only global seafood certification programme to be recognised as credible by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI).

With a total of 53 hotels participating, Shangri-La has the greatest number of properties in Asia certified by the MSC. Critical to the collaboration is the highlighting of sustainably sourced seafood selections on the hotels’ restaurant menus. Guests can identify these culinary offerings by the trusted MSC ecolabel printed alongside the dish description, which indicates the seafood is from MSC-certified fisheries and suppliers. MSC certification means the seafood was sustainably fished – it is fully traceable from a legal fishery, which has proven minimal impacts on the marine environment and other species, including threatened or endangered species and juvenile fish.

Mr Andy Chan, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Senior Director of F&B, Greater China, Receiving MSC Ecolable

“By being the first to partner with the MSC in Asia, we hope to galvanize others in the hotel industry to join us in offering certified sustainable seafood to make a positive impact in the world collectively,” said Shangri-La President & COO Oliver Bonke. “Providing our guests locally and ethically sourced food offerings has been a priority since we launched Rooted in Nature, our culinary sustainability initiative, in 2014. Our partnership with the MSC is the next milestone in our journey.”

Rupert Howes, Chief Executive of the MSC, said, “The leadership shown by Shangri-La is a visible commitment to meeting the highest globally recognised standards for seafood sustainability and traceability. The MSC ecolabel assures hotel guests that seafood is sustainably caught and can be traced back to a certified fishery. We applaud Shangri-La for the huge effort that went into achieving MSC certification for 53 hotels, and for their ongoing efforts to engage diners on the importance of choosing sustainable seafood.”

The Shangri-La group recognises that overfishing is a threat to the state of the oceans, which will struggle to meet the demands of Asia and China – the world’s largest seafood consumers, whose population accounts for one-third of all fish consumption. This new certification will allow guests of Shangri-La to make sustainable and healthy choices.

The significant step Shangri-La is taking to have the greatest number of hotels in Asia certified by the MSC enables the group to stay ahead of emerging issues and enhance its Rooted in Nature culinary initiative, which was introduced in 2014 to highlight ethically and responsible sourced food offerings.