Supermarket in fish pledge

Sainsbury's, Britain's second-biggest supermarket chain, promised yesterday that within seven years all the wild fish it sold would be obtained from "sustainable" fisheries.

The commitment is significant in view of mounting alarm at the state of fish stocks, both in EU waters and worldwide. But there was confusion over precisely what the company, which claims to be the leading British retailer of fish and fish-based products, meant by "sustainable". And there was doubt over the capability of fully accredited "sustainable" fisheries to meet Sainsbury's demands.

The move was welcomed by environmentalists, however, not least because it puts pressure on other big retailers to follow suit.