British diners have been warned off buying a dozen types of seafood – including dover sole from the Irish Sea – due to depleted fish populations. They joined the growing “red” or “avoid” list in the Good Fish Guide, which aims to help consumers make ocean-friendly choices.
The guide, compiled by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), provides environmental ratings using a traffic light system. Of the 337 wild fisheries around the British Isles, only 13% have a green rating and 25% are red. So what do you need to know to make sustainable fish choices?
What has happened?
In the autumn update, The MCS reviewed 117 seafood ratings, leading to 53 changes including 19 moving down the sustainability scale.
Of these, a dozen received red ratings, including: pollack caught in the Channel and Celtic Seas; beam-trawled plaice from the eastern Channel; dover sole from the Irish Sea; prawns from the North Sea and sea bass from the west of Scotland. However, North Sea and Channel mullet and North Sea sprat moved up to amber, resulting in a net increase of eight on the red list.
How can I ensure the fish I eat is sustainable?
A good place to start is on the Good Fish Guide website (it can also be downloaded on to your phone) so you can check a fish rating when planning a meal or in the supermarket. “We always recommend people look for ‘what, where and how’ on labels,” says the Good Fish Guide manager, Charlotte Coombes. “If that’s there, you’ve got enough information to get a rating.”
Alternatively, look for the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) blue tick on wild-caught fish and seafood (or the Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s (ASC) green logo on farmed products). The label is the “simplest way for the consumer to know that they can eat the seafood without having to worry about whether or not it is sustainable”, says George Clark, the MSC’s UK & Ireland programme director. This applies to everything from tinned tuna, fresh fish or frozen fish fingers.
Now I know what to look for, what should I buy?
Fish lovers tend to eat the same things over and over, with 80% of seafood eaten in the UK made up of the “big five”: cod, haddock, salmon, tuna and prawns. This puts a lot of pressure on a handful of wild stocks and, while there are some sustainable sources, experts suggest some sustainable swaps. Replace cod with European hake which has the same meaty texture. Instead of haddock, buy North Sea plaice. If it has to be tuna, buy skipjack or albacore caught by pole and line (or try sardines).
Everyone says to eat more oily fish, such as salmon, is that OK?
Wild-caught Atlantic salmon is on the red list, so buy Pacific (pink, red or keta) caught in Alaska, organic or ASC-certified Scottish salmon. “Anything that relies on rivers as well as the sea, like salmon and eels, is really under pressure,” says Coombs. It’s not easy to replace salmon’s orange-pink flesh, but any firm white fish, such as hake or haddock, can be cooked in a similar way. Another option is farmed rainbow trout.
What about prawns?
Prawns can be sustainable, depending on the species, and where and how they were caught or farmed, so check the information on the packet. Arctic northern prawns (or shrimp), for example, with a green rating are the best option, whereas North Sea ones have just joined the red list. For king and tiger prawns look for eco-labels, including organic or ASC, and avoid buying uncertified ones from places like Indonesia, Vietnam and India.
Should I stop going to the fish and chip shop?
No. Andrew Crook, the president of the National Federation of Fish Friers, suggests customers ask shop owners about their policy but insists the industry is focused on sustainable sourcing. “Without cod and haddock there won’t be any fish shops so it is in our interest to have well-managed fisheries,” he says. “We’d always encourage people to be a bit more adventurous, there’s a lot of hake that comes into the UK that is caught by the domestic fleet.”
Is sea bass totally off the menu?
No, but the guide advice is to buy the farmed fish. In 2015, sea bass was in “real trouble”, says Coombs. Stocks have been recovering since emergency management measures were introduced but they are not yet where they should be.
Is farmed or wild fish better?
Both systems have good options and really unsustainable ones. Wild capture fisheries can be harmful to the seabed and result in unwanted bycatch, while aquaculture can affect the environment through pollution from chemicals, escaped fish and disease. For farmed fish, customers should seek out the ASC or “RSPCA-assured” labels.
Should I just take fish oil supplements instead?
Fish oil supplements are often touted as a way to gain omega-3 nutrients without having to eat fish. While some are made from cod, mackerel or sardines, mostuses Peruvian anchovetas, a type of anchovy, with the Guardian reporting concerns about overfishing and environmental damage caused by the industry. There are, however, a growing number of supplements badged as containing sustainable fish oil.
