Good Fish Guide

Ray, Cuckoo

Leucoraja naevus

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 … Read more 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.

Ray, Sandy

Leucoraja circularis

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 … Read more 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.

Ray, Shagreen

Leucoraja fullonica

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 … Read more 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.

Ray, Smalleyed

Raja microocellata

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 … Read more 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.

Ray, Spotted

Raja montagui

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 … Read more 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.

Ray, Starry

Amblyraja radiata

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 … Read more 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.

Ray, Thornback ray, Roker

Raja clavata

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 … Read more 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.

Ray, Undulate

Raja undulata

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 … Read more 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.

Salmon, Atlantic

Salmo salar

Generally, stocks of wild Atlantic salmon are depleted. Scientists recommend that fishing for salmon only takes place in rivers where stocks are at full reproductive capacity or above conservation limits. Avoid eating wild-caught salmon … Read more from rivers below these limits. Salmon is now, however, widely available thanks to fish farming. There are still environmental concerns relating to the farming of salmon such as sea lice transfer and escaped fish remaining. When buying farmed salmon, the best choices to make are Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) or organic certified. Salmon certified by the RSPCA Freedom Foods scheme ensure that high welfare standards are met during production, including reduced stocking densities.

Pacific salmon is a good alternative. All Alaskan salmon are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or to the Alaska FAO-Based Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) Certification Programme Standard.

Sawfish

Pristis pristis, P.pectinata, P.perotteti

Sharks and rays are found in all the worlds oceans, from the poles to the tropics to shallow water coral reefs to water over 3,000m 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 (Oviparity) 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. Fins may fetch over 30 per kilo and a single basking shark tail fin can fetch up to 5,250 in Hong Kong. Blue sharks and other oceanic species are the preferred species taken.

Sawfishes are arguably the most imperiled fishes in the world; the whole family has been classified as Critically Endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Shark Specialist Group. Because of this, they are automatically a red-rated species.

Scallop, King, scallops

Pecten maximus

Most scallops are caught by dredging, which can be very damaging to habitats. Choose dive-caught as a much better option. Work is underway to try to improve understanding of the locations and sizes of UK scallop stocks - in general, the … Read more stocks in the North Sea do not seem to be doing well. Scallop fisheries in Shetland (Marine Stewardship Council-certified), Isle of Man, Lyme Bay, and the inshore Yorkshire Coast (North Eastern IFCA district) are better managed than most. Some Fishery Improvement Projects are underway to improve management and reduce environmental impacts. Avoid eating scallops below their legal minimum landing size (100-110mm) and if eating fresh from the sea, avoid their breeding season (April to September). Farmed scallops are not yet common in the UK market, but make a great sustainable alternative to wild-caught dredged scallops.

Scallop, Queen, scallops

Aequipecten opercularis

In most areas, it is unknown if Queen scallops populations are healthy or not. Choose Queen Scallops from Welsh fisheries. The Isle of Man populations are in a poor state, despite adopting many management measures to improve the stock. A … Read more Pan-Irish Management Agreement is required to ensure that Irish Sea stocks are managed appropriately. Generally, fishing methods used to catch queen scallops are less destructive than king scallop dredgers.

Shark, Angel

Squatina squatina

Angel shark is an EU Prohibited Species and are Critically Endangered. Catches of angel shark are now rare, both in surveys and commercially. Avoid eating.

Shark, Blue

Prionace glauca

Shark, Porbeagle

Lamna nasus

Porbeagle is assessed as Critically Endangered in Northeast Atlantic by the IUCN. ICES advises that no fishing for porbeagle should be permitted, landings should not be allowed. Porbeagles are automatically scored red-rated. Avoid eating.