Good Fish Guide

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.

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 … Read more 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.

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.

Basa, Tra, Catfish or Vietnamese River Cobbler

Pangasius bocourti & Pangasius hypophthalmus

The group of freshwater fish known as catfish are captured from the wild or farmed for food and displayed in public aquaria dependant on the species. This farmed species natural habitat is medium to large rivers in Asian countries such as … Read more Vietnam, where they can grow up to 44kg.There are omnivores, feeding on a diet of other fish, vegetable matter and crustacea. Pangasius bocourti is one of the most important farmed species in Vietnam.

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, 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.

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.

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.

Coley, Saithe

Pollachius virens

Coley or saithe is generally a good choice. Stocks are not overfished, and are not subject to overfishing. Avoid eating immature saithe below about 60 cm and during its breeding time (January to March). Look out for MSC certified options, … Read more are 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.

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 … Read more 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.

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).

Haddock

Melanogrammus aeglefinus

Haddock from Irish Sea, Rockall, 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. To learn more about … Read more how fish are caught see our Fishing methods guide. The Scottish Fisheries Sustainable Accreditation Group (SFSAG) Rockall haddock was certified as a responsibly managed and sustainable fishery by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) in July 2018. Avoid eating immature fish, below 30 cm, and during their main breeding season in March and April.

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 during 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.

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.

Herring or sild

Clupea harengus

Herring is caught in large fisheries using methods that are relatively selective or 'clean' in terms of bycatch and non-damaging to the seabed. However, herring have a very important role in the marine ecosystem and are prey for a wide … Read more range of species and this means they need to be very well managed. Some stocks are doing well, but others are overfished so it pays to know where your herring has been caught.

Limpet, Slipper

Crepidula fornicata

Lobster, European

Homarus gammarus

The very large claws of unequal size, along with the abdomen, are full of tasty white meat. Can be bought fresh or frozen. There are many popular lobster recipes including Thermidor and Bisque or of course you can boil, steam or grill it. … Read more Lobster is often boiled alive - The RSPCA recommend that lobster is placed in the freezer at 18 degrees C for 2 hours before boiling so it falls asleep and dies.

Stock levels for UK lobster are generally low or unknown and exploitation levels on them too high.

Do not buy lobster below the legal minimum landing size of 87mm carapace (front-shell length), or egg-bearing (berried) or large females which contribute most to the breeding stock (the larger the animal the more eggs she produces).
A national prohibition on the landing of berried lobster in England was introduced in 2017. There is currently no prohibition on the landing of berried or egg bearing or ovigerous lobster in Wales. Although there is a prohibition in Scotland on the landing of berried or egg-bearing velvet crab, no such restriction exists for female European lobster. The reduction in maximum landing size is however designed to protect larger breeding females as the number of eggs produced by an egg-bearing female is proportional to her size.
A ban on landing berried and v-notched lobster significantly increases the spawning potential and resilience of the stock.

Lobster potting is a more selective method of fishing than netting as undersized, egg-bearing females or immature animals can be returned to the sea alive. The lobster fishery in the Granville Bay Treaty Area, Jersey, is certified as an environmentally responsible fishery by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).