Their menu will be used to determine:
– The seafood species they offer consumers
– Whether they are using correct fish names
– Whether they are accurately disclosing the fishing method, origin and fishery (wild or farmed) of all the seafood products that they sell
The questionnaire is used to divulge background on the restaurants’ buying practices and ethos, whether they take the sustainability of their products into account and if they make an effort to buy seafood from sustainable sources. It is also used to clarify any menu issues or provide more information relating to species on offer and their origin.
Menu species are assessed primarily based on the recommendations of the Australian Marine Conservation Society in “Australia’s Sustainable Seafood Guide”. We will also be checking whether species they offer appear on either the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species, or Greenpeace International’s Seafood Red List. If species are imported and the status of the fishery is not included in these guides, relevant national guides (such as the US focussed Monterey Bay Seafood Watch Guide or the NZ focussed Best Fish Guide from NGO Forest & Bird) will be used.
Information on the species served by the restaurant is presented in a colour-coded pie chart based on the categories in the AMCS guide. This is an easy visual snapshot of which category (Say No, Think Twice or Better Choice) the restaurants’ species come from. Other information on the restaurant’s practices are presented in a scorecard format, with scores created using a standardised formula to remove subjectivity and ensure consistency. Restaurants are awarded a score out of 5 in four categories:
Species
1 (mostly red list) to 5 (all green list)
Use of Correct Fish Names
1 (mostly incorrect) to 5 (All correct)
Traceability – Origin, Fishing method, Fishery (wild or farmed)
1 (not disclosed) to 5 (all disclosed)
Business Practices and Sustainability
1 (Don’t take sustainable seafood into account at all or make any effort) to 5 (sustainable seafood is important to the business and shapes purchasing choices, every effort is made to ensure seafood comes from sustainable sources)
Scorecard Methodology
The four categories that comprise the scorecard are assessed consistently and in an objective manner. We strive to maintain a reliable, consistent and authoritative tone. Revealing the formulaic way that each score is reached helps us to achieve our goal of remaining at all times transparent in our practices.
The formulas have been determined as described below.
Species
Each species on the menu is assessed using the AMCS Sustainable Seafood Guide and points awarded and a final score determined as follows.
‘Say No’ (red) Listed Species = 0 points
‘Think Twice’ (amber) Listed species = 1 point
‘Better Choice’ (green) Listed species = 2 points
The final score achieved will be considered as a percentage of the total possible score (being the number of species on the menu multiplied by the best possible score for each, 2 points). This number will then be applied to a score out of 5 that becomes the rating in this category.
Use of Correct Fish Names
Each species on the menu is examined and the accuracy of its identification assessed using the Australian Standard Fish Names List as prescribed in the Australian Fish Names Standard (AS SSA 5300-2007). This provides a clear framework from which a restaurant’s labelling efforts and compliancy can be assessed. Points are then awarded and a final score determined as follows.
Scoring in this category will take into account the number of species on the menu, with each awarded full, half or zero points for the use of correct fish names, based on menu descriptions.
Full points will be awarded for completely correct species names. Half points will be awarded when a completely correct Family Name or Group name is used to describe a species or when a Species name is correct except for a particularly specific addition (such as ‘Southern’ or ‘Northern’ Calamari). This is justifiable in that a restaurant may not fully know these specifics unless the correct name has been passed down the supply chain. In this instance restaurants should be encouraged (in the ‘Blurb’ section of the review) to demand correct names from their suppliers and thus increase the traceability of their offerings.
The final score will be reflected as a percentage and applied to a score out of 5 that becomes the rating in this category.
Traceability
Is it feasible to require a restaurant to list Origin AND fishing method AND fishery in each category? We think so. It is possible to present this information within a menu context in a way that isn’t too unwieldy. At the very least, consumers should have access to this information upon request.
Scoring in this category will take into account the number of species on the menu, with each awarded full, half or zero points for it’s traceability based on menu descriptions.
The final score will be reflected as a percentage and applied to a score out of 5 that becomes the rating in this category.
Business Practices and Sustainability
This application of a score in this category is more difficult as assessment is based on the questionnaire, interviews and/or public policy of the restaurant. Not lending itself directly to formula, it becomes more subjective. In assessing restaurants we are looking for awareness by the operators of the issues surrounding sustainable seafood selection (including fishing methods, vulnerable species, etc). This information should then be applied to purchasing decisions. The best indication of an establishment’s commitment to sourcing sustainable seafood is a Sustainable Seafood Purchasing Policy or similar. Other good indicators are traceability schemes and the use of a guide (such as the AMCS Australian Sustainable Seafood Guide) to assess species for menus selections.
Even and consistent scoring in this category will be maintained by scoring restaurants both individually and comparatively. When necessary scores will be assessed by an unbiased third party to ensure scoring is consistent and within the guidelines of the category.
Overall Score/Ranking
An overall score out of 20 will be awarded. This is a combined total of the scores from the 4 ‘scorecard’ categories. This score will be used in the future to determine a restaurants ‘ranking’ and as a basis for easy comparison between restaurants.
*A NOTE GoodFishBadFish will not remove points from a restaurant’s score in the categories ‘species’, ‘correct fish names’ or ‘traceability’ for the use of the term ‘fish’ in descriptions of dishes such as pastas, stews or curries WHERE THIS INGREDIENT IS NOT THE SOLE FEATURE OF THE DISH. This is because it is recognised that in a real world restaurant scenario the fish in these dishes is often by-product of other dishes (trimmings from filleting and portioning etc). It is, however, expected that upon request a waiter can inform customers what species is being used that day. Excessive use of the term on menus where not reasonably justified by the above rationale WILL see a reduction of the restaurant’s score.