Waitrose currently the only buyer, and marketing questions remain Seafood exporters in New Zealand are hoping to kickstart their Hoki business in the UK after finally winning Marine Stewardship Council accreditation for their fishery. It has taken the industry three years and NZ$500,000 to secure accreditation for NZ Hoki ­ which is the first white fish in the world to achieve the accolade. The certificate recognises that the fish is sourced from a well managed fishery which is farmed in a sustainable way. New Zealand catches about 250,000t of Hoki a year, and government figures show exports of the fish were worth NZ$336m (£96m) last year ­ about twice the value of the country's wine shipments. The main markets remain the US and Japan. But sales are growing in the EU ­ helped by the fact import tariffs have fallen to 3.5% for fish destined for processing and 7.5% for that heading into retail. Nevertheless, exporters say Hoki has not taken off in the the UK ­ where Waitrose is today the only supermarket selling the fish. Supermarket antipathy has been compounded by fears among processors that consumers would fail to recognise Hoki if it appeared in ready to eat products. Fish exporters are confident, however, that the Marine Stewardship Council award will give a much needed boost to their efforts ­ particularly in the processing sector, where they are predicting plenty of action in the coming months. Phil Lough, chief executive of Sealord, one of the biggest NZ fishing groups, said: "The MSC certification will make more consumers aware of the fish and focus attention on our sustainable fisheries management system." Although the major UK supermarkets and processors support the aims of the MSC, one question remains unanswered: who will do the marketing needed to explain to consumers what the New Zealand industry's clever Forever Hoki' message is all about? {{M/E MEAT }}

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