Good Fish Guide

Shrimp, brown or common

Crangon crangon

The common or brown shrimp, is found in mainly shallow water along the Eastern Atlantic coast as far south as Morocco, and into the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Brown shrimp is a relatively fast growing and resilient species yet plays a … Read more very important role in the marine ecosystem. It is primarily caught in the North Sea using shrimp trawls.

Brown shrimp is primarily caught using shrimp trawls in the North Sea with a very small fishery also occurring in the northeast Irish Sea. Most of the catch is taken in or around the Wadden Sea on the eastern side of the North Sea, which is one of Europe's most important marine conservation areas and national parks. It is important that sufficient areas of these conservation areas are protected to allow natural processes to continue with minimal disruption from fishing. Shrimp trawls are lighter than traditional beam trawls, but can still damage seafloor communities so is important that sensitive areas are protected. Bycatch of juvenile fish remains an issue in these fisheries and further work is needed to improve this, such as trialling of square mesh codends and panels. There are also very few controls in place to prevent the overexploitation of local shrimp populations. Some fleets in the North Sea have voluntarily adopted a harvest control rule which is a positive sign, but cooperation between member states accessing the fishery is needed for this to be effective.

Skate, Common

Dipturus batis

Skate and ray species are all generally sold as 'skate', but all true Skate should be completely avoided. Whole ray are available as fresh or frozen wings and knobs (cheeks).The term 'Skates and Rays' can be a bit confusing here in … Read more Britain. What are traditionally known in Britain as 'rays' are, scientifically or biologically speaking, 'skates'. While the rays (which are technically skates!) sold in fishmongers throughout Britain - Spotted, Small-eyed, Cuckoo, Blonde etc. - belong to the family Rajidae, not all rays found in British waters belong to this family. Two species of Torpedo Rays (Torpedinidae); 2 species of Whiptail Stingrays (Dasyatidae); the Common Eagle Ray (Myliobatidae) ; and Giant Devil Ray (Mobulidae) are also either resident or visitors to our waters! Skates and rays generally available for consumption however do belong to the same sub-order "batoidea" and are large flat fish, dwelling close to the sea floor. Like sharks they have cartilage skeletons instead of bone. Skates tend to be large with long snouts, while rays are smaller species and have short snouts. They are both slow to grow and breed. Many are uncommon or rare. For more information on skates, rays and sharks go to: http://www.sharktrust.org.

Avoid eating. They are an EU Prohibited Species and it is prohibited to fish for, retain, or landing common skate is prohibited in EU waters. Common Skate is assessed as Critically Endangered by IUCN and is listed by OSPAR as a threatened and declining species. Because of this, they are automatically a red-rated species.

Skate, Longnosed

Dipturus oxyrinchus

Skate and ray species are all generally sold as 'skate', but all true Skate should be completely avoided. Whole ray are available as fresh or frozen wings and knobs (cheeks).The term 'Skates and Rays' can be a bit confusing here in … Read more Britain. What are traditionally known in Britain as 'rays' are, scientifically or biologically speaking, 'skates'. While the rays (which are technically skates!) sold in fishmongers throughout Britain - Spotted, Small-eyed, Cuckoo, Blonde etc. - belong to the family Rajidae, not all rays found in British waters belong to this family. Two species of Torpedo Rays (Torpedinidae); 2 species of Whiptail Stingrays (Dasyatidae); the Common Eagle Ray (Myliobatidae) ; and Giant Devil Ray (Mobulidae) are also either resident or visitors to our waters! Skates and rays generally available for consumption however do belong to the same sub-order "batoidea" and are large flat fish, dwelling close to the sea floor. Like sharks they have cartilage skeletons instead of bone. Skates tend to be large with long snouts, while rays are smaller species and have short snouts. They are both slow to grow and breed. Many are uncommon or rare. For more information on skates, rays and sharks go to: http://www.sharktrust.org.

In general, skates and rays are vulnerable to overfishing because they grow really slowly, mature late in life and produce few young. We don't know if their populations are healthy most of the time because, until recently, catches haven't been recorded very well. When choosing skate or ray, choose a fast-growing species like Spotted Ray because their populations are at a healthier level. Avoid eating skates and rays below the size at which they can reproduce (57cm in length for spotted ray). If buying Spotted Ray, choose it from boats belonging to the North Devon Fishermen's Association (NDFA) because they employ better management to protect skates and rays.

Skate, Norwegian or Black

Dipturus nidarosiensis

Skate and ray species are all generally sold as 'skate', but all true Skate should be completely avoided. Whole ray are available as fresh or frozen wings and knobs (cheeks).The term 'Skates and Rays' can be a bit confusing here in … Read more Britain. What are traditionally known in Britain as 'rays' are, scientifically or biologically speaking, 'skates'. While the rays (which are technically skates!) sold in fishmongers throughout Britain - Spotted, Small-eyed, Cuckoo, Blonde etc. - belong to the family Rajidae, not all rays found in British waters belong to this family. Two species of Torpedo Rays (Torpedinidae); 2 species of Whiptail Stingrays (Dasyatidae); the Common Eagle Ray (Myliobatidae) ; and Giant Devil Ray (Mobulidae) are also either resident or visitors to our waters! Skates and rays generally available for consumption however do belong to the same sub-order "batoidea" and are large flat fish, dwelling close to the sea floor. Like sharks they have cartilage skeletons instead of bone. Skates tend to be large with long snouts, while rays are smaller species and have short snouts. They are both slow to grow and breed. Many are uncommon or rare. For more information on skates, rays and sharks go to: http://www.sharktrust.org.

Avoid eating. Norwegian skate are an EU Prohibited Species. Because of this, they are automatically a red-rated species.

Skate, White

Rostroraja alba

Skate and ray species are all generally sold as 'skate', but all true Skate should be completely avoided. Whole ray are available as fresh or frozen wings and knobs (cheeks).The term 'Skates and Rays' can be a bit confusing here in … Read more Britain. What are traditionally known in Britain as 'rays' are, scientifically or biologically speaking, 'skates'. While the rays (which are technically skates!) sold in fishmongers throughout Britain - Spotted, Small-eyed, Cuckoo, Blonde etc. - belong to the family Rajidae, not all rays found in British waters belong to this family. Two species of Torpedo Rays (Torpedinidae); 2 species of Whiptail Stingrays (Dasyatidae); the Common Eagle Ray (Myliobatidae) ; and Giant Devil Ray (Mobulidae) are also either resident or visitors to our waters! Skates and rays generally available for consumption however do belong to the same sub-order "batoidea" and are large flat fish, dwelling close to the sea floor. Like sharks they have cartilage skeletons instead of bone. Skates tend to be large with long snouts, while rays are smaller species and have short snouts. They are both slow to grow and breed. Many are uncommon or rare. For more information on skates, rays and sharks go to: http://www.sharktrust.org.

Avoid eating. White skate are an EU Prohibited Species. Because of this, they are automatically red-rated.

Smoothhound

Mustelus spp.

Sharks and rays are found in all the worlds oceans, from the poles to the tropics to shallow water coral reefs to water over 3,000 m deep. The Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is unusual as it is able to enter fresh water river systems … Read more where it gives birth. Sharks, skates and rays are fish, but they can be distinguished from bony fish (teleosts) by their cartilaginous skeletons. There are four main types of cartilaginous fish; sharks, skates and rays, collectively called elasmobranchs, and the rarely encountered chimaeras, a more distant relative only found in deep water. They are also distinguished from bony fish by the way they breed. Reproduction in sharks and rays is a very slow process as they have a late age of sexual maturity, produce few young and have a long gestation period. No maternal care is provided to shark pups, instead they are well-developed and ready to hunt when born in order to maximise their chance of survival. All shark eggs are fertilised internally but may develop in one of three different ways: Eggs are held within a leathery case (Oviparity), known as a mermaids purse, e.g. catshark; Embryos develop within the mother and are nourished by the egg (Ovoviparity) e.g. basking shark; Embryos develop within the mother and are provided with nutrients from a placenta (Viviparity) e.g. smooth-hound. World-wide sharks are being removed from our seas at an alarming rate. Sharks are slow growing, long-lived with low reproduction. Finning is perhaps the most damaging and distasteful of all shark fisheries. The process is cruel and wasteful, involving the removal and retention of fins, while the rest of the shark, is discarded, often still alive, to drown or be eaten. Finning takes place all over the world (including Europe) to feed the continual and increasing demand for sharkfin soup. Fins are consumed principally in the Far East but Europe and the USA are sizeable markets for shark fin. Blue sharks and other oceanic species are the preferred species taken. British seas are home to over 30 shark species including the fastest shark in the world (the shortfin Mako) and the second largest fish in the world (the Basking shark) and we even get tropical rare visitors such as hammerheads.

Smoothhound is one of few shark species whose numbers appear to be stable at present, however there is much uncertainty about its stock status. Unlike many similar elasmobranchs, their relatively high productivity means that there is potential for this species to be harvested sustainably. However, data are lacking on their biology, and level of fishing on the species which precludes the ability to manage them effectively.

Smoothhound,

Mustelus spp.

Sole, Dover sole, Common sole

Solea solea

This flatfish is eaten fresh, whole and cooked, usually grilled. It has delicate texture and is subtle in flavour and is very popular in France because of its taste. Species favoured by the French because of its superb flavour. Dover sole … Read more were named after the fishing port that landed the most sole in the 19th century. Slip sole or 'tongue' is used to describe a small Dover sole less than 340g.

The best choices for Dover or common sole are from the North and southern Celtic Seas and the western English Channel. Dover sole from the Hastings Fleet trammel net, gill net and otter trawl fisheries in the eastern English Channel and the Cooperative Fishery Organisation (CVO) North Sea plaice and sole fishery are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) as environmentally responsible or sustainable fisheries. Avoid eating immature sole (less than 30cm) and fresh (not previously frozen) fish caught during the breeding season (April-June) or from electric-pulse trawl fisheries.

Sole, Lemon

Microstomus kitt

Best dusted in flour, fried in butter and eaten on the bone. Lemon sole is also sold filleted and chilled or frozen in breadcrumbs. Doesn't deserve to be made into goujons and doesn't taste of lemon! Belongs to the same family as halibut … Read more and plaice.

The fishery for Lemon sole is generally unmanaged in EU waters and there is no minimum landing size (MLS) for the species. An exception to this is in Cornish waters where a MLS of 25cm is enforced by local byelaw. There is no formal assessment of the North Sea stock but analysis of survey data suggests that fishing mortality is below and stock size above sustainable reference points. Choose seine caught fish where possible, as this method of capture causes less damage to the seabed and is the best choice for lemon sole from the North Sea. Avoid eating immature fish (below 25cm) and during its breeding period, April-August.

Sole, Sand

Pegusa lascaris

Sprat, whitebait

Sprattus sprattus

The term whitebait is used widely throughout the world, referring to small, usually marine, fishes. It has been reported that whitebait available in the UK is made up mostly of young sprats from the Baltic Sea, but depending on the source, … Read more these may be mixed with the young of shad, herrings, sticklebacks, gobies and shrimps. It is often difficult to identify different species when they are so small, meaning that in some fisheries the monitoring and reporting of the actual catch may be skewed. Harvesting fish when they are small and before they have matured means they have not contributed to the growth of the population; therefore significant harvesting of juveniles of any stock can have a disproportionately large impact on the health of the population. Small fish are also important prey for other fish, marine mammals and bird species.

Sprat is used for both human consumption and for industrial or reduction purposes, i.e. the production of fish meal. Sprat are a highly resilient species and small artisanal inshore fisheries for human consumption are unlikely to impact significantly on wider stocks. However, sprat are under pressure from industrial fisheries, with high removals, current uncertainty in status and unclear management in some areas. Without proper stock assessment and management, fisheries will likely be much less sustainable.

Mature sprat is a more sustainable alternative to whitebait, which is often a mixture of juvenile fish such as herring, sprat and sandeel. The majority of the North Sea stock is made up of adult or mature fish.

Spurdog, Spiny Dogfish, Dogfish, Rock Salmon or Flake

Squalus acanthias

Sharks and rays are found in all the worlds oceans, from the poles to the tropics to shallow water coral reefs to water over 3,000 m deep. The Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is unusual as it is able to enter fresh water river systems … Read more where it gives birth. Sharks, skates and rays are fish, but they can be distinguished from bony fish (teleosts) by their cartilaginous skeletons. There are four main types of cartilaginous fish; sharks, skates and rays, collectively called elasmobranchs, and the rarely encountered chimaeras, a more distant relative only found in deep water. They are also distinguished from bony fish by the way they breed. Reproduction in sharks and rays is a very slow process as they have a late age of sexual maturity, produce few young and have a long gestation period. No maternal care is provided to shark pups, instead they are well-developed and ready to hunt when born in order to maximise their chance of survival. All shark eggs are fertilised internally but may develop in one of three different ways: Eggs are held within a leathery case (Oviparity), known as a mermaids purse, e.g. catshark; Embryos develop within the mother and are nourished by the egg (Ovoviparity) e.g. basking shark; Embryos develop within the mother and are provided with nutrients from a placenta (Viviparity) e.g. smooth-hound. World-wide sharks are being removed from our seas at an alarming rate. Sharks are slow growing, long-lived with low reproduction. Finning is perhaps the most damaging and distasteful of all shark fisheries. The process is cruel and wasteful, involving the removal and retention of fins, while the rest of the shark, is discarded, often still alive, to drown or be eaten. Finning takes place all over the world (including Europe) to feed the continual and increasing demand for sharkfin soup. Fins are consumed principally in the Far East but Europe and the USA are sizeable markets for shark fin. Blue sharks and other oceanic species are the preferred species taken. British seas are home to over 30 shark species including the fastest shark in the world (the shortfin Mako) and the second largest fish in the world (the Basking shark) and we even get tropical rare visitors such as hammerheads.

Spurdog (spiny dogfish, rock salmon or flake) are long-lived, slow growing and have a high age at maturity. These characteristics make them particularly vulnerable to high levels of fishing mortality. The Northeast Atlantic stock is considered to be depleted. The species is assessed as Critically Endangered by IUCN and has been recently added to the OSPAR list of threatened and/or declining species and habitats.

Squid, Argentine short fin

Illex argentinus

Squid (often found on menus using the Italian word 'calamari') can be stuffed whole, cut into pieces or rings, which are often deep fried, pickled, as jerky called sakiika, salted or fermented (shiokara). Squid flesh is also produced to … Read more create raw (sashimi) or processed to create dried (surume), cooked (sakiika) or frozen or canned. The Chinese Common squid are a high value species, sold fresh, frozen, dried or processed into hoods and rings or sashimi for the Japanese sushi market. Squid has quite a bland taste so needs other flavourings to perk it up.
Squid is a mollusc related to octopus and cuttlefish. Characterised by a large, fleshy body (mantle), there are more than 300 different types of squid around the world but the most common species eaten in the UK are the European and the Atlantic squid.
Squid plays an important role in oceanic and coastal food webs and is removed from the sea before it has spawned (females die after spawning, though males may live to breed for a second year). Squid is also an important bait species for catching species such as tuna.

Squid fisheries around the world exhibit considerable variations in annual catch, mainly as a result of large fluctuations in annual abundance that appear to be environmentally driven. Fluctuating abundance together with their rapid growth and short life cycle means precise stock information is not available. Squid plays an important role in oceanic and coastal food webs and, without appropriate management, deliberately targeted industrial-scale fisheries have the capacity to remove significant quantities from the sea before they have spawned (it dies after spawning). Fisheries in UK waters tend to be small, seasonal, non-targeted and squid (Loligo forbesi and Loligo vulgaris) is generally taken as bycatch in trawl fisheries for nephrops and other demersal whitefish species. Check which area the squid is from as it may have been caught in an area where whitefish such as cod or whiting are unsustainably fished. A more selective method of fishing for squid is by jigging. An example of such a fishery in the UK is the Sennan Cove squid fishery in Cornwall, where fishermen go out in small punts and fish for squid using jigs, a method of fishing similar to that of hand lining.

Squid, Atlantic or Veined

Loligo forbesii

Squid (often found on menus using the Italian word 'calamari') can be stuffed whole, cut into pieces or rings, which are often deep fried, pickled, as jerky called sakiika, salted or fermented (shiokara). Squid flesh is also produced to … Read more create raw (sashimi) or processed to create dried (surume), cooked (sakiika) or frozen or canned. The Chinese Common squid are a high value species, sold fresh, frozen, dried or processed into hoods and rings or sashimi for the Japanese sushi market. Squid has quite a bland taste so needs other flavourings to perk it up.

Squid is a mollusc related to octopus and cuttlefish. Characterised by a large, fleshy body (mantle), there are more than 300 different types of squid around the world but the most common species eaten in the UK are the European and the Atlantic squid.

Squid plays an important role in oceanic and coastal food webs and is removed from the sea before it has spawned (females die after spawning, though males may live to breed for a second year). Squid is also an important bait species for catching species such as tuna.

Choose and ask for squid caught using jigs. They are a very selective fishing method. Squid populations change rapidly with environmental variability so it is difficult to monitor their populations, so it is important that squid are managed effectively. More management is required in UK squid fisheries.

Squid, Atlantic, Common, European, Veined

Loligo spp. (Loligo forbesii, L. Vulgaris and Alloteuthis subulata).

Squid (often found on menus using the Italian word 'calamari') can be stuffed whole, cut into pieces or rings, which are often deep fried, pickled, as jerky called sakiika, salted or fermented (shiokara). Squid flesh is also produced to … Read more create raw (sashimi) or processed to create dried (surume), cooked (sakiika) or frozen or canned. The Chinese Common squid are a high value species, sold fresh, frozen, dried or processed into hoods and rings or sashimi for the Japanese sushi market. Squid has quite a bland taste so needs other flavourings to perk it up.

Squid is a mollusc related to octopus and cuttlefish. Characterised by a large, fleshy body (mantle), there are more than 300 different types of squid around the world but the most common species eaten in the UK are the European and the Atlantic squid.

Squid plays an important role in oceanic and coastal food webs and is removed from the sea before it has spawned (females die after spawning, though males may live to breed for a second year). Squid is also an important bait species for catching species such as tuna.

Choose and ask for squid caught using jigs. They are a very selective fishing method. Squid populations change rapidly with environmental variability so it is difficult to monitor their populations, so it is important that squid are managed effectively. More management is required in UK squid fisheries.