The common skate, for instance, is more endangered than the snow leopard. And fish farming can also be problematic – carnivorous farmed fish, like salmon, are usually fed large quantities of fish meal which itself comes from wild fish, and high concentrations of farmed fish lead to problems with pollution and parasites.
Fortunately, there are a few easy steps we can take to minimise the damage fishing causes:
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Mix it up a bit
Try hake, coley, pouting or whiting instead of cod, and rather than tuna, buy herring, mackerel, sardines or sprat – all great options to get your fix of omega 3! And don’t forget about dab – a truly underrated flatfish species. -
Low impact
Buy seafood caught in a more environmentally friendly way - handline, pole and line, trap or pot or dive caught - or from fisheries using best practice to reduce discards and habitat impacts. -
Know your fish!
Buy local. Make friends with a fishmonger in the know or try food box delivery schemes. When shopping for fish look for information in store and on labels to check sustainability, and don’t be afraid to ask questions! Know what you’re eating - If you can’t get the info you need, give it a miss! -
Avoid eating threatened species
Species like; common skate, bluefin tuna, wild seabass and shark. Deep sea species are often long lived and slow growing and vulnerable to overfishing. Fishing for them can also ruin coldwater corals which may never recover. -
In or out of season?
Avoid breeding or spawning times, and egg-bearing (berried) lobster or crab. Immature fish should be avoided to allow them to breed. Visit goodfishguide.org for seasonality and sizing info. -
Label logic
Look for the following eco-labels – they’re better environmental choices for...
Sustainably fished 
Responsively farmed: 
RSPCA Monitored -
Buying farmed fish? Go organic
Organic farms tend to allow fish more room to move, they have higher environmental standards and use responsibly sourced feed.
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Find out more!
The Marine Conservation Society has much more information on their website, www.goodfishguide.org – you can even download an app to get the best, most up-to-date advice on which species are endangered, and which can be eaten without threatening their numbers.
