60 second guide to... Sustainable fish
Lily Barclay and Marissa Catherine Carrarini
With our growing appetite for fish emptying the oceans, is it time to give up the cod fillets? Here's what you need to know about eating fish sustainably
Fish is big news and it seems the world’s appetite for the stuff is even bigger - in fact it has nearly doubled in just 50 years. As a result 70 per cent of fish are now designated fully or overexploited and many species are battling extinction.
Fish at risk
A recent report in the journal Science predicted that if fishing carries on as it is now, 90 per cent of the world’s fisheries will be exhausted in the next 40 years. But it’s not just our griddled swordfish that’s at stake - overfishing is damaging fishing industries and marine environments around the world.
One of the main reasons for the fish crisis is net trawlers. These mammoth meshes, used to catch cod, prawns, plaice and sole also capture (then discard) 20 million tonnes of unwanted fish from around the world every year.
A nice piece of trawled fish, such as plaice or Dover sole, is responsible for at least its own weight in discard. Fish trawlers and big net fishing also threaten the livelihood of dolphins, seabirds and turtles.
What can you do?
The good news is that as more of us choose sustainable options, retailers will respond to consumer demand. That’s how knowing which fish to avoid can play a crucial part in helping save fish stocks.
The Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) blue fish-tick label is a sure indicator that the fish have been farmed from healthy stocks using environmentally friendly techniques with fair labour. And thanks to new EC regulations, supermarkets are making it easier for consumers to determine the origins of the fish they supply.
But if the information you need isn’t there, make a point of asking retailers. Or you can pre-check the sustainability of your fish at Fishonline.
Remember that even sustainable fish may not have been farmed ethically. For example, dredging for scallops involves large metal cages being dragged across the seabed, which damages reef and coral areas.
Where possible try buying fish using the most selective fishing method available. For example, pot, line, diver or trap caught, which avoids killing unwanted marine species and damage to the seabed.
If you can steer clear of buying fish during their spawning season (or substitute with frozen fish) this gives the species the best chance of making up their decreasing numbers. For more information on spawning times see Fishonline.
Simply varying the fish you buy is another way to shop sustainably – after all just ten species of fish account for 75 per cent of all seafood sold in the UK. The most popular are cod, haddock, tuna and prawns.
And finally, when it comes to fish, size really does matter. Catching small, undeveloped fish denies them the chance to reproduce, increasing the likelihood of stock depletion.
What is the difference between farmed and wild fish?
With wild fish stocks so vulnerable, fish farming may seem like the perfect solution. The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation considers it an economic and highly regulated way to meet demand for seafood – it predicts that by 2010 half of the fish the world eats will be farmed.
But fish farming has its problems and its critics – take salmon, the most popular farmed fish in Britain, as an example. Left in their natural habitat, wild salmons will swim thousands of miles from their local rivers to ocean feeding grounds.
This is a stark contrast to the farmed variety, which spend their two years in cages at sea. According to the RSPCA, salmon farmed to minimum industry standards may not even have enough room to swim around properly. Critics argue that salmons' natural behaviour makes them unsuited to these conditions.
Another issue that prevents farming from getting fish off the hook is feed. Cod, salmon, sea bass and sea bream are all fed on pellets made from smaller wild species such as sardines, pilchard and blue whiting. This is intensive business – it takes 4kg of fish just to feed 1kg of farmed salmon.
Cage farmed fish are also prone to infestations of sea lice and parasites that reportedly cause considerable stress to the fish, and can potentially be transferred to wild salmon and trout. The chemicals used to treat these sea lice, together will faecal fish waste, also contribute to polluting the ocean.
What about organic fish?
It may be more expensive but it seems there are some clear environmental benefits to choosing organic fish. The Soil Association, the UK’s largest organic certification body, runs some of the toughest standards in the world.
They demand stocking densities 30 per cent lower than the RSPCA’s Freedom Food Label. This additional space reduces stress and the likelihood of disease, which in turn enables the fish to be less reliant on drug and chemical use. The copper-based chemicals that are used to keep nets clean in traditional fish farming, and which may be toxic, are also banned on organic farms.
Another benefit to going organic is the feed, as the fish have to be farmed on food that is certified as sustainable or using the leftovers from fish processing. This is a big help to predatory species, such as cod, tuna and swordfish as it avoids the consumption of their prey. And it these species who have been worst hit by the crisis, declining by 90 per cent in the past 50 years.
Organic farms also have to leave their fish cages empty for much longer periods of time to give the aquatic ecosystem time to recover. They are also taking proactive measures to sustain the marine environment, such as planting reed beds to support and enhance the quality of the water.
Where can I buy sustainable fish?
Most supermarkets and more specialist food shops sell fresh fish with the MSC label. Also, Young’s and Birds Eye both have MSC certified fish fingers. You can find tinned mackerel, sardines and tuna from Fish 4 Ever at Goodness Direct. No Catch fish is available in organic shops such as Fresh & Wild in London and Bristol and some supermarkets.
Eating out can prove more tricky, but not hopeless. The Fish Restaurant in London Borough Market, for example works with the MSC, while the Wholefoods Market have a great sustainable oyster bar. To get your sushi fix, Moshi Moshi’s clear conscience sushi set ticks all the boxes in terms of ethics and taste.
And ethical eateries Alimentum in Cambridge, London’s Acorn House, Tom’s Place and Edinburgh’s The Iglu all have strict sustainable fish policies.
The MSC provides a practical and formative guide to the different fish that they certify. This is a great source of information to help you buy sustainable fish.
The future of fish eating
Oily fish is a great source of a fatty acid called omega-3 - studies have shown that it can help prevent heart disease and may improve IQ. Fish is an important part of a lot of people’s diets and cutting it out completely may not seem a healthy option.
Moderation and considerate shopping are key to protecting the life in our oceans. Buying your fish from reputable fishmongers, checking for the MSC label, avoiding fish in its spawning season, choosing a line-caught option, and varying the fish you eat are all good ways of making a difference without having to give it up.
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