McDonald : Releases "Reel It In!" Sustainable Fishing Card Game

Download the Game

McDonald's is using its size and scale to advance sustainable fish sourcing as the industry standard, helping to protect long-term fish supplies and help improve the health of surrounding marine ecosystems.

Every Filet-O-Fish® sandwich served in the U.S. is made with Alaska pollock from the largest Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified fishery in the world. Located in the Northeast Pacific Ocean, the fishery's sustainability measures include avoiding capture of non-targeted fish - called bycatch - at one of the world's lowest rates, 1 percent. Aside from the filets, the fishery also makes use of the entire fish for other purposes (including oil, roe and bones), resulting in zero waste, according to a report issued by the MSC and Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers.

In 2018, McDonald's USA marks five years as the first and only global restaurant company to serve MSC-certified fish at every U.S. location. The Company works with MSC on a global level, too, so that every Filet-O-Fish® sandwich in every market comes from a sustainably managed fishery. It's all part of building a better McDonald's.

'The Marine Stewardship Council is proud to be a part of McDonald's sustainability journey, and its dedication to supporting fishermen and companies doing the right thing,' said Brian Perkins, Regional Director Americas, MSC.

'Supporting communities that depend on fish, promoting sustainable practices and ensuring traceability along the supply chain through the MSC program help to ensure that our children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy seafood for generations to come.'

To underscore McDonald's commitment to the issue and make the topic accessible for children, McDonald's created 'Reel It In! ' - a card game intended to teach the importance of sustainable fishing to the next generation responsible for healthy oceans. The game, featuring colorful illustrations of Alaska pollock, is available to download online.

Since its start in 2001, McDonald's global Sustainable Fisheries Program has grown to include purchasing standards, annual third-party assessments of all our fish suppliers and the purchase of all whitefish from sustainable fisheries.

In 2011 and 2013, McDonald's Europe and McDonald's USA, respectively, elected to certify their more than 20,000 combined restaurants to the MSC Chain of Custody traceability standard. Today all of the Filet-O-Fish® portions served in Europe, U.S., Canada and Brazil bear the MSC-certified label and all whitefish used for McDonald's Filet-O-Fish® globally is sourced from sustainably managed fisheries.

McDonald's is committed to sourcing 100% of wild-caught fish globally from verified sustainable sources by 2020, and is working on a strategy to support the development of sustainability standards for aquaculture to guide future purchases.

'McDonald's longstanding commitment to sustainable seafood sourcing has set an important industry standard and sends the message that science-based fisheries management is good for the environment, the economy, and people who love to eat fish,' said Matt Tinning, Associate Vice President of the Oceans program at Environmental Defense Fund.

'We commend them for their continued leadership and unwavering support for sustainable seafood.'

Learn more about how McDonald's is using its scale for good to protect fish supplies and healthy oceans.