Loblaw shoppers might notice the seafood section is a little light on seafood this week thanks to a new marketing campaign that includes a display of empty fish trays.

The grocery retailer is displaying the empty trays at seafood counters in select stores to symbolize a concern that "at risk" fish species could disappear from store shelves permanently if conservation efforts aren't improved.

The trays won't remain empty for long. They'll be refilled once a viable sustainable replacement is found. The goal is to create a visual message to help educate customers about sustainable seafood choices, according to Paul Uys, Loblaw's vice-president of fresh foods.

"We believe it's critical that Canadians understand this important issue, and the changes at our fresh seafood counters are among the first steps we have taken to educate customers as to why Loblaw is committed to sourcing all seafood sold in our stores from sustainable sources," Uys said in a news release.

Loblaw is working with partners such as World Wildlife Fund Canada and the Marine Stewardship Council as well as marine scientists, conservation experts and fisheries to fulfill its commitment to offering sustainable seafood.

"Research is telling us that a lot of the fish and seafood we eat are seriously depleted because of overfishing and other unsustainable fishing practices," Dr. Jeffrey Hutchings, a biology professor at Dalhousie University and an advisor to Loblaw, said in the release.

"We live in the country with the longest coastline in the world, and our rich heritage in fishing extends back more than 500 years," said Hutchings. "As Canadians, we cannot afford to ignore our collective responsibility to recover the health of what lives in the oceans."