Good Fish Guide
Your guide to sustainable seafood
You can play a key role in securing the future of our seas and marine wildlife by making more environmentally responsible choices when buying seafood.
Our seas face a wide range of threats - click to expand
Our seas face a wide range of threats. Climate change, pollution, habitat and biodiversity loss are all impacting our seas; plus 90% of global fish stocks are either fully or over-exploited. All these factors combined mean that urgent action is needed to restore the health of our seas. Fish farming (aquaculture) is rapidly expanding to meet increasing demand for seafood, but if this is done badly it can also damage the environment and exacerbate these other problems.
Use the Good Fish Guide to find out which fish are the most sustainable (Green rated), and which are the least sustainable (Red rated). Make the right choice and reduce your impact – every purchase matters! Find out more about our seafood work, including how we develop our seafood ratings, plus sustainable seafood recipes and more.
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Abalone
Haliotis discus hannai; Haliotis tuberculata
Abalone can be farmed on land in aquaculture systems that are enclosed, referred to as "recirculating systems", which means that all water and waste are contained. Abalone graze on seaweeds for food. As there are no environmental … Read more interactions and no depletion of resources for food this makes abalone a really sustainable seafood choice.
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Production country — Ireland
Production method — Recirculating system
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Production country — France
Production method — Open water crate
Certification — Organic certification
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Anchovy, anchovies
Engraulis encrasicolus
As an oily fish, their strong flavour is used to add a kick to many dishes and sauces, including Worcestershire Sauce, and they are widely used in Mediterranean cooking. Anchovy fillets are generally packed in oil or salt and sold in jars
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or tins. Often used as a topping for pizza, caesar salads or just on toast. Also in paste or rolled and accompanied with other foods such as olives. Anchovy can also be processed into fish meal.They are small green fish with a silver stripe that gives them a bluish hue. A relative of the herring, they are a short-lived, schooling fish feeding on small fry (recently hatched fish) and plankton at the bottom of the food-chain.
The Bay of Biscay fishery is a sustainable choice. The Cantabrian Sea (Bay of Biscay) purse seine anchovy fishery is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) as sustainable. Anchovy are a species with a low vulnerability and high resilience and as such can sustain high levels of fishing pressure. However, recruitment of young fish to the stock is affected by environmental factors including climatic fluctuations. If recruitment is low and fishing pressure too high the stock becomes vulnerable to collapse. Anchovy are also a species at or near the base of the food chain and the impact of their large-scale removal on the marine ecosystem is poorly understood.
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Capture method — Pelagic trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Bay of Biscay
Stock detail — VIII
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Capture method — Purse seine
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Bay of Biscay
Stock detail — VIII
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Arctic char
Salvelinus alpinus
Land based farmed Arctic char is a good choice to make when looking for an oily fish. The use of land based production systems addresses many issues of environmental concern that can be associated with farmed fish production. Artic charr … Read more has a lower requirement for fish in its diet compared to other salmonid species and in UK and Icelandic production responsibly sourced feed is used.
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Production country — UK
Production method — Land based flow through and recirculating systems.
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Basa, Tra, Catfish or Vietnamese River Cobbler
Pangasius bocourti & Pangasius hypophthalmus
Pangasius farmed to Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified production standards is currently the best choice to make for this farmed species. The ASC standard certification addresses a number of issues of environmental concern, … Read more the auditing of which requires farm inspections and standard enforcement. In general there are a number of issues of environmental concern associated with production, these include: habitat alteration; nutrient and organic pollution; escapes; interactions with local wildlife and enforcement of regulations. Pangasius is a an omnivore and as such is not heavily reliant on marine proteins and oils to form part of its diet, however the fish used to produce the feed is currently not certified as being responsibly managed or sustainable.
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Production country — Global
Production method — Ponds
Certification — Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification
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Clam, Manila (Farmed)
Ruditapes philippinarium
All Manila clams in the UK are progeny of broodstock imported from the west coast of USA. They are grown in trays on trestles in the sea before planting out in ground plots or seabed. Only a small number of Manila clams are farmed for the … Read more table in UK (5 tonnes, 2012), the biggest production is seed for ongrowing. Clams may be harvested by manual digging or raking, or by mechanical methods, e.g. suction or hydraulic dredge. Manual harvesting methods cause less disturbance to sediment than mechanical methods. Shellfish farming is a low-impact method of producing farmed seafood and high quality water standards are required for cultivation of shellfish for human consumption.
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Production country — UK
Production method — Bottom culture
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Cod, Atlantic Cod
Gadus morhua
There are a many different Atlantic cod populations and whilst some are being well managed and are in a healthy state, many others are in a poor state, particularly around the UK. Many of the well managed fisheries are certified as … Read more sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) which can be identified in shops and on menus by a blue ecolabel with a white tick. Avoid eating cod from stocks which are depleted and where fishing is at unsustainable levels.
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Capture method — Longline
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Iceland
Stock detail — 5a
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Gill or fixed net
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Iceland
Stock detail — 5a
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Iceland
Stock detail — 5a
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Northeast Arctic (Barents and Norwegian Sea)
Stock detail — 1, 2
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Northeast Arctic (Barents and Norwegian Sea)
Stock detail — 1, 2
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Cod, Pacific Cod
Gadus macrocephalus
Pacific cod is fished throughout the east and west North Pacific Ocean in both targeted and non-targeted fisheries, using a range of gear types, including: demersal trawl, gill net, seine and longline. The best options are the fisheries … Read more that have been certified against the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard.
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Capture method — Pot or creel
Capture area — North East Pacific (FAO 67)
Stock area — Alaska
Stock detail — Bering Sea
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Longline
Capture area — North East Pacific (FAO 67)
Stock area — Alaska
Stock detail — Bering Sea
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Pacific (FAO 67)
Stock area — Alaska
Stock detail — Bering Sea
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Longline
Capture area — North West Pacific (FAO 61)
Stock area — Russia
Stock detail — Bering Sea (West) and Chukotskaya, Karaginskaya & Petropavlovsko-Komandorskaya subzones
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Demersal seine net
Capture area — North West Pacific (FAO 61)
Stock area — Russia
Stock detail — Bering Sea (West) and Chukotskaya, Karaginskaya & Petropavlovsko-Komandorskaya subzones
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North West Pacific (FAO 61)
Stock area — Russia
Stock detail — Bering Sea (West) and Chukotskaya, Karaginskaya & Petropavlovsko-Komandorskaya subzones
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Capture method — Longline
Capture area — North East Pacific (FAO 67)
Stock area — Alaska
Stock detail — Aleutian Islands
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Pot or creel
Capture area — North East Pacific (FAO 67)
Stock area — Alaska
Stock detail — Aleutian Islands
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Coley, Saithe
Pollachius virens
Coley or saithe is generally a good choice. The best options are from Iceland and the North East Arctic, where they are not overfished, and are not subject to overfishing. Avoid eating immature saithe below about 60cm. Look out for MSC … Read more certified options, a number of which are available - these fisheries are required to reduce bycatch of vulnerable species and minimise the impacts of fishing gear on seabed species and habitats.
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Iceland
Stock detail — 5a
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Gill or fixed net
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Iceland
Stock detail — 5a
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Purse seine
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Northeast Arctic
Stock detail — 1, 2
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Northeast Arctic
Stock detail — 1, 2
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Capture method — Gill or fixed net
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Northeast Arctic
Stock detail — 1, 2
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Faroes grounds
Stock detail — 5b
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Crab, brown or edible
Cancer pagurus
Brown crab, also known as edible crab, is the heaviest British crab and looks a bit like a pie on legs with its distinctive reddish-brown shell and pastry crust rim. About a third of the weight of the crab is meat, two thirds is white and
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third is brown. It's used to make 'dressed crab' where the shell is cleaned out and used as the dish. Crab is also used to make fish cakes, crab sticks and paste. Brown crabs mature at about 10 years and averagely lives for 30 years, but some have been known to go on till they're 100!
The vast majority of brown crabs in the UK are caught by potting. This is a low impact and relatively selective method of fishing, any bycatch or discards can be returned alive to the sea with high survival rates. Brown crab from the Inshore Potting Agreement Area in Devon, the Western Channel or Cornwall are the best choices for crab in the UK. Avoid eating crabs below the minimum landing size (13-14 cm in most areas of the UK) and crab claws, unless it is certain they have been removed from the animal after landing. Egg-bearing or "berried" females should be avoided at all times to allow them to spawn.
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Capture method — Pot or creel
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Western Channel
Stock detail — VIIe
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Capture method — Pot or creel
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Cornwall
Stock detail — 7e
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Capture method — Pot or creel
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Western Channel
Stock detail — Devon Inshore Potting Area
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Capture method — Pot or creel
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Scotland
Stock detail — Shetland
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Cuttlefish
Sepia officinalis
Cuttlefish (family Sepiidae) belong to a specialised group of molluscs, known as cephalopods, which also includes octopus and squid. It is one of the most commercially important cephalopod species and is also used in aquaculture. A wide
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range of cuttlefish products are found including fresh, whole, fish and block-frozen baby cuttlefish. Widely sold to Japanese, Korean, Italian and Spanish markets. Their flesh is marketed primarily for human consumption but their cuttles -or bones- are sold as sources of calcium for caged birds such as canaries. Their ink (sepia) is also prized as a colouring agent in cooking, textiles and paint.
Not enough is known about cuttlefish stocks around the UK, but they appear to be in an overfished state. With no specific management measures to protect them, it is likely they are also subject to overfishing. Trawling is of particular concern because it catches juveniles before they have had a chance to breed, further threatening the population. Trap-caught cuttlefish is a better option, especially in areas where there are measures to ensure cuttlefish eggs laid on the traps can hatch before they are hauled in (e.g. off the coast of Dorset and Hampshire).
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Capture method — Trap
Capture area — Mediterranean (FAO 37)
Stock area — All Areas
Stock detail —
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Capture method — Hook & line
Capture area — Indian Ocean, Western (FAO 51) and Pacific, Western Central (FAO 71)
Stock area — All Areas
Stock detail —
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Capture method — Hook & line
Capture area — Eastern Indian Ocean (FAO 57)
Stock area — All Areas
Stock detail —
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Dab
Limanda limanda
Dab are a relatively abundant species of flatfish which provide a more sustainable alternative to more vulnerable, longer-lived and overfished species of flatfish such as plaice. It is mostly taken as bycatch in trawl fisheries and often … Read more discarded because of its low market value. More demand for the species would increase its value and help to reduce this. More comprehensive management and data collection is required for the sustainability of the fishery in the long term. Choose dab caught using seine nets where possible, as this is the more sustainable option for catching the species and produces a better quality product. Avoid eating immature fish below about 20 cm and fresh (not previously frozen) fish caught during or prior to the breeding season (April -June).
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat
Stock detail — 4, 3a
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Capture method — Seine net
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat
Stock detail — 4, 3a
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Haddock
Melanogrammus aeglefinus
Haddock from UK seas, the Northeast Arctic, and Iceland are at healthy or sustainable levels and being fished sustainably. When buying longline-caught haddock, ask for fish caught using 'seabird-friendly' methods. Avoid eating immature … Read more fish, below 30 cm.
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Northeast Arctic
Stock detail — 1, 2
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Longline
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Northeast Arctic
Stock detail — 1, 2
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl and seine
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North Sea, West of Scotland, Skagerrak
Stock detail — 4, 6a, 3a.20
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Longline
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North Sea, West of Scotland, Skagerrak
Stock detail — 4, 6a, 3a.20
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Capture method — Demersal seine net
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North Sea, West of Scotland, Skagerrak
Stock detail — 4, 6a, 3a.20
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Iceland
Stock detail — 5a
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Demersal seine net
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Iceland
Stock detail — 5a
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Longline
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Iceland
Stock detail — 5a
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Rockall
Stock detail — 6b
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Capture method — Longline
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Rockall
Stock detail — 6b
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Irish Sea
Stock detail — 7a
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Capture method — Pelagic trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Irish Sea
Stock detail — 7a
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Northeast Arctic
Stock detail — 1, 2
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North Sea, West of Scotland, Skagerrak
Stock detail — 4, 6a, 3a.20
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Rockall
Stock detail — 6b
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Longline
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Northeast Arctic
Stock detail — 1, 2
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Hake, European
Merluccius merluccius
There are two main stocks for European hake - a northern and a southern one. The biomass for the northern stock has recovered from depleted levels following good management and is now at a record high. Fishing effort on the southern stock … Read more however remains too high. Avoid eating immature fish below about 50cms, and if eating them fresh from the water, avoid their breeding season, February to July. The Cornish hake gill net fishery was certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) as a sustainable fishery in June 2015.
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Capture method — Gill or fixed net
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Cornwall
Stock detail — 7e, 7f, 7g, 7h
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North Sea, Celtic Seas, Bay of Biscay (north). Northern Stock.
Stock detail — 3a, 4, 6, 7, 8a, 8b, 8d
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Capture method — Longline
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North Sea, Celtic Seas, Bay of Biscay (north). Northern Stock.
Stock detail — 3a, 4, 6, 7, 8a, 8b, 8d
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Capture method — Gill or fixed net
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — North Sea, Celtic Seas, Bay of Biscay (north). Northern Stock.
Stock detail — 3a, 4, 6, 7, 8a, 8b, 8d
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Capture method — Demersal otter trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Cornwall
Stock detail — 7e, 7f, 7g, 7h
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Halibut, Atlantic (Farmed)
Hippoglossus hippoglossus
Atlantic halibut is widely farmed although in small quantities compared to other species. Unlike salmon and cod, halibut can be farmed in closed tanks as well as in open pens. Choose halibut farmed in closed, shore based production systems … Read more such as those used in Scotland, as environmental impacts of production are mitigated. Halibut do have a large dependency on fish to form the majority of their diet, and the fish required to make their feed cannot be assured to come from a sustainable supply. Scottish production is independently addressing this feed concern making it a good choice.
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Production country — UK
Production method — Onshore open circuit system
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Herring or sild
Clupea harengus
The sustainability of herring varies significantly depending on which population it comes from and MCS recommends checking labels for catch locations. The best choice is from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fishery in the … Read more southern Irish Sea.
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Capture method — Pelagic trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Irish Sea (North)
Stock detail — 7a (North)
Certification — Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
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Capture method — Pelagic trawl
Capture area — North East Atlantic (FAO 27)
Stock area — Irish Sea (North)
Stock detail — 7a (North)
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