Why making sustainable seafood choices matters?
Globally, around 35.5% of assessed marine fish stocks are overfished, highlighting the importance of choosing seafood from well-managed fisheries and farms. In the UK, our five favourite seafood species – cod, haddock, prawns, salmon and tuna – account for around 80% of seafood consumption.
By choosing seafood from well-managed sources and a wider variety of responsibly sourced species, alongside a diet rich in plant-based foods, we can support both human and planetary health, reduce pressure on the most popular seafood species, and help build a more resilient seafood system. By following these top tips, you can help protect the world’s oceans and the 800 million people who rely on them for food and income.
1. Look for trusted labels and sourcing
Look for certified sustainable seafood such as MSC (wild-caught) or ASC (farmed), and check responsibly sourced claims on packaging. These can help identify fisheries and farms that have been independently assessed against environmental standards. Where possible, choose products with clear, verifiable sourcing information.
2. Check trusted seafood guides
Use trusted seafood guides to identify the most sustainable choices. Ratings can vary between the same species depending on where and how it was caught or farmed, so checking current advice can help you make the best choice.
3. Ask questions
Know what you’re eating! Ask where your seafood comes from and how it was caught or farmed – these factors can make a big difference to the sustainability of the seafood you buy. Choosing seafood from well-managed fisheries and responsible farms, including those using lower-impact methods such as line-caught tuna over some industrial methods, pot caught crab and lobster, & rope grown mussels and oysters, can help reduce harm to marine ecosystems.
4. Diversify your seafood choices
Although seafood from well-managed fisheries and farms is available, even the best managed sources cannot satisfy unlimited increase in demand as this pressure affects the whole marine ecosystem. By choosing a diverse range of seafood from well-managed sources, you can help to reduce pressure on the more popular “big five” species. For example, hake or coley can replace some white fish choices, sardines, and herring can diversify oily fish consumption, and mussels offer low-impact alternatives to farmed shrimp.
5. Eat lower down the food chain
Some seafood can be a lower-carbon source of animal protein, particularly species such as mussels, and oysters that require little or no feed and can even help improve water quality. Choosing climate-friendly seafood is one way to reduce the climate impact of your diet. Herring and sardines, can also provide nutritious protein with relatively low greenhouse gas emissions.
6. Avoid vulnerable species
Some species are particularly vulnerable because they are endangered, threatened or protected, or because they grow slowly and take many years to mature. Examples include European eel, many shark and ray species, and some deep-sea fish. Choosing seafood from healthy, well-managed stocks helps reduce pressure on vulnerable marine wildlife and ecosystems.
7. Support local and seasonal seafood
Buying well-managed local seafood helps support UK fishers, fish farmers and coastal communities, while reducing reliance on imports.
8. Reward transparency
Buy from businesses that provide clear information about species, origin, fishing or farming methods, and sustainability commitments. Greater transparency helps drive improvements throughout seafood supply chains.
9. Reduce waste and value your seafood
Plan purchases carefully, store seafood correctly, and use leftovers where possible. Reducing food waste helps ensure that the environmental impacts associated with fishing and farming are not incurred unnecessarily.