JCS Fish (BigFish)

JCS Fish is an independent salmon specialist, based in Grimsby. Founded in 2000, it is owned and run by Andrew and Louise Coulbeck, who have many years of family heritage in seafood. JCS Fish supplies a comprehensive range of responsibly sourced salmon and trout products both to foodservice customers and to retailers across the UK under its award-winning BigFishâ„¢ brand.

Number of wild caught species used
Number of farmed species used
% volume of Atlantic salmon from certified farms
% volume of trout from certified farms

Number of wild caught species used

0

Number of farmed species used

2

% volume of Atlantic salmon from certified farms

99.4

% volume of trout from certified farms

100

Summary

As one of the UK's leading salmon specialists, JCS Fish sources only the finest whole fish direct, with an emphasis on quality, responsible production and full traceability throughout the supply chain. We know and understand how every fish we use was farmed and harvested before being delivered to our door.

We are a family firm based in Grimsby. We produce salmon and trout products of many types, from plain and flavoured fillets to fish cakes. Our factory is BRC AA-Grade accredited and certified to Organic Food Federation standards. We have our own on-site smokehouse, also accredited for Organic production.

We only work with reputable and trusted suppliers, those who farm to the highest standards with minimum impact on the environment. Most of our fish comes from Scotland, where we require our suppliers to be members of the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) and observe its Code of Good Practice.

We are also a chain of custody supplier within the GlobalG.A.P. (GGN) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) programmes for sustainable aquaculture practice and were the first company in the UK to commit to GGN-certified salmon for a brand. The GGN label provides guidance to consumers and indicates that production has complied with the strict requirements of the international GLOBALG.A.P. aquaculture standard: for food safety, environmental integrity, animal welfare and social responsibility. We are rolling out the GGN label to all our BigFish Atlantic salmon products, which allows consumers to verify the certified source of the product online.

This profile covers all seafood sourced by JCS Fish in 2021.

Associated Fisheries

Species and Location
Production Methods
Certification or Improvement Project
Sustainability Ratings
Notes

Species and Location

fishery flag

Atlantic salmon

Salmo salar

Faroe Islands

Fishery countries:
Faroe Islands

Production Methods

  • Farmed

Certification or Improvement Project

Not certified or in an AIP

Sustainability Ratings

Seafood Watch

Good Alternative

Seafood Watch

  • Eco-Certification Recommended
  • Best Choice
  • Good Alternative
  • Avoid

Good Fish Guide

Think 3

Good Fish Guide

  • Best Choice 1
  • Best Choice 2
  • Think 3
  • Think 4
  • Improver 5
  • Avoid 5

Ocean Wise

Not recommended

Ocean Wise

  • Recommended
  • Not recommended
Environmental Notes
  • Salmon production relies on fishmeal and fish oil from wild capture fisheries for feed inputs. There is an increasing effort to use alternative ingredients in feed.
  • Disease is not a serious concern, however, sea lice are a problem in salmon aquaculture, with unknown consequences for wild populations. There is a high risk of escapes from open net pens. Escaped farmed salmon may compete with wild fish for resources.
  • Antibiotics are no longer used on Faroese salmon farms but pesticide use for the treatment of sea lice remains a concern. Effluent wastes from salmon farms do not appear to have a significant impact on water quality in Faroese fjords.
General Notes

References

Good Fish Guide - Atlantic salmon, Faroe Islands, All areas, Open net pen, marine

Seafood Watch recommendation for farmed salmon, Faroe Islands

Species and Location

fishery flag

Atlantic salmon

Salmo salar

Iceland

Fishery countries:
Iceland

Production Methods

  • Farmed

Certification or Improvement Project

Not certified or in an AIP

Sustainability Ratings

Sustainability not rated

Environmental Notes
  • Salmon production typically relies on fishmeal and fish oil from wild capture fisheries for feed inputs.
  • Salmon farming is a relatively young industry in Iceland and therefore data is limited. Media reports indicate that there are concerns about the impact of farmed salmon escapes and sea lice outbreaks on wild salmonids.
  • Impacts on water quality are likely to be localized, but there is potential for cumulative impacts in densely farmed areas.
General Notes
  • Salmon farming is restricted to designated coastal areas in Iceland.

References:

Government of Iceland, Aquaculture

Media - Forbes, 2021

Media - The Guardian, 2019

Species and Location

fishery flag

Atlantic salmon

Salmo salar

Ireland

Fishery countries:
Ireland

Production Methods

  • Farmed

Certification or Improvement Project

Certified

Sustainability Ratings

FishSource

Managed

FishSource

  • Well Managed
  • Managed
  • Needs Improvement

Good Fish Guide

Best Choice 2

Good Fish Guide

  • Best Choice 1
  • Best Choice 2
  • Think 3
  • Think 4
  • Improver 5
  • Avoid 5
Environmental Notes
  • Although salmon farming typically relies on wild capture fisheries for feed, organic certification standards require that fish inputs in salmon feed come from aquaculture or marine byproducts.
  • There are concerns about the potential for farmed salmon escapes, disease outbreaks, and impacts on wild salmonids and wild fish used as cleaner fish.
  • Impacts on water quality are localized and the use of chemicals on organic certified farms is limited.
General Notes
  • The environmental impacts described are addressed to some degree by multiple certifications.

References:

Good Fish Guide - Atlantic Salmon, Farmed, Europe, Organic certification

Species and Location

fishery flag

Atlantic salmon

Salmo salar

Norway

Fishery countries:
Norway

Production Methods

  • Farmed

Certification or Improvement Project

Certified

Sustainability Ratings

FishSource

Managed

FishSource

  • Well Managed
  • Managed
  • Needs Improvement

Good Fish Guide

Think 3

Good Fish Guide

  • Best Choice 1
  • Best Choice 2
  • Think 3
  • Think 4
  • Improver 5
  • Avoid 5
Environmental Notes
  • Salmon production relies on wild capture fisheries for feed. The sustainability of fisheries supplying fishmeal and fish oil varies.
  • There are concerns about the impact of farmed salmon escapes and disease outbreaks on wild salmonids. Escapes are a critical conservation concern in Production Areas 3, 4, 8, 9, 10 and 11. In addition, concerns have been expressed about the impact on wild wrasse populations used as cleaner fish to control sea lice.
  • Impacts on water quality are localized, but there is potential for cumulative impacts in densely farmed areas. Chemical inputs of pesticides used to control sea lice are of particular concern for farmed Norwegian salmon. The use of chemical pesticides has been reduced over the last five years but varies by Production Areas.
General Notes
  • The environmental impacts described are addressed to some degree by certification.
  • The Norwegian salmon industry has adopted a zonal approach to aquaculture management for licensing and disease management through the use of 13 Production Areas nationwide.

References

FishSource - salmon, Norway

Good Fish Guide - Salmon, Atlantic (Farmed), Scotland, Norway and Faroe Islands, GlobalG.A.P. certification

Seafood Watch report for farmed salmon, Norway

Species and Location

fishery flag

Atlantic salmon

Salmo salar

Norway: Production Area 8

Fishery countries:
Norway

Production Methods

  • Farmed

Certification or Improvement Project

Not certified or in an AIP

Sustainability Ratings

FishSource

Managed

FishSource

  • Well Managed
  • Managed
  • Needs Improvement

Seafood Watch

Avoid

Seafood Watch

  • Eco-Certification Recommended
  • Best Choice
  • Good Alternative
  • Avoid

Good Fish Guide

Think 3

Good Fish Guide

  • Best Choice 1
  • Best Choice 2
  • Think 3
  • Think 4
  • Improver 5
  • Avoid 5

Ocean Wise

Not recommended

Ocean Wise

  • Recommended
  • Not recommended
Environmental Notes
  • Salmon production relies on wild capture fisheries for feed. The sustainability of fisheries supplying fishmeal and fish oil varies.
  • There are concerns about the impact of farmed salmon escapes and disease outbreaks on wild salmonids. Escapes are a critical conservation concern in Production Areas 3, 4, 8, 9, 10 and 11. In addition, concerns have been expressed about the impact on wild wrasse populations used as cleaner fish to control sea lice.
  • Impacts on water quality are localized, but there is potential for cumulative impacts in densely farmed areas. Chemical inputs of pesticides used to control sea lice are of particular concern for farmed Norwegian salmon. The use of chemical pesticides has been reduced over the last five years but varies by Production Areas.
General Notes
  • The Norwegian salmon industry has adopted a zonal approach to aquaculture management.

References:

FishSource - salmon, Norway

Good Fish Guide - Salmon, Atlantic (Farmed)

Seafood Watch report for farmed salmon, Norway

Species and Location

fishery flag

Atlantic salmon

Salmo salar

Scotland

Fishery countries:
United Kingdom

Production Methods

  • Farmed

Certification or Improvement Project

Certified

Sustainability Ratings

FishSource

Managed

FishSource

  • Well Managed
  • Managed
  • Needs Improvement

Good Fish Guide

Think 3

Good Fish Guide

  • Best Choice 1
  • Best Choice 2
  • Think 3
  • Think 4
  • Improver 5
  • Avoid 5
Environmental Notes
  • Salmon production relies on wild capture fisheries for feed. The sustainability of fisheries supplying fishmeal and fish oil varies.
  • There are concerns about the impact of farmed salmon escapes and disease outbreaks on wild salmonids. In addition, concerns have been expressed about the impact on wild wrasse populations used as cleaner fish to control sea lice.
  • Impacts on water quality are localized, but there is potential for cumulative impacts in densely farmed areas. Chemical inputs of pesticides used to control sea lice are of particular concern for farmed Scottish salmon. The use of chemical pesticides has declined over the last decade but varies by region.
General Notes
  • The environmental impacts described are addressed to some degree by certification.
  • The industry follows a zonal approach to aquaculture management with respect to planning, siting, licensing, and operation.

References:

Good Fish Guide - Atlantic Salmon, Farmed, Scotland, Norway and Faroe Islands, GLOBALG.A.P. certification

Good Fish Guide - Atlantic Salmon, Farmed, Scotland

Species and Location

fishery flag

Rainbow Trout, Steelhead Trout

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Scotland

Fishery countries:
United Kingdom

Production Methods

  • Farmed

Certification or Improvement Project

Certified

Sustainability Ratings

FishSource

Managed

FishSource

  • Well Managed
  • Managed
  • Needs Improvement
Environmental Notes
  • Trout rely on wild capture fisheries for feed, but there is an increasing effort to use alternative ingredients in feed.
  • Trout farming in ponds and raceways has fewer environmental impacts than trout farming in open net pens. Outbreaks of sea lice and escapes are a concern for trout farmed in open net pens.
  • Impacts on water quality depend on the farming method used. Production using open net pens results in the discharge of waste and nutrients directly into the surrounding water. Chemical inputs and waste discharge are regulated, but there is no data on environmental impacts.
General Notes
  • The environmental impacts described are addressed to some degree by certification.

References

Good Fish Guide - Rainbow trout, Farmed (Open net pen, marine), UK

Good Fish Guide - Rainbow trout, Farmed (Pond, freshwater), UK

Profile Download

ODP profiles from previous years are available to download as PDFs below.