Avoid eating because:

with the exception of the Northeast Arctic, all other cod stocks in the north-east Atlantic are overfished or at an unknown level. The most depleted stocks are in the Irish Sea, North Sea, and West of Scotland. Icelandic fisheries, though once well-regarded, are now being overfished as quotas are being set above scientific recommendations. The north-east Arctic (Barents Sea) cod stock is healthy and is fished at a sustainable level. Part of the Norwegian longline fishery for cod in the north-east Arctic has been certified as sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and is available in the UK. Avoid eating cod from stocks which are depleted and where fishing is at unsustainable levels and choose line-caught cod wherever possible.

Good alternatives:

MSC certified Atlantic cod from the north-east Arctic or Pacific cod, which is also certified as sustainable by the MSC. To reduce the impacts on the marine environment choose line caught cod from fisheries where measures are taken to reduce the bycatch of non-target species and seabirds.

Avoid eating because:

wild caught Atlantic salmon are severely depleted. Overfishing is not the only reason for this. Other factors include: pollution, environmental changes, aquaculture, freshwater habitat deterioration and impediments to migration routes. There are several individual salmon stocks throughout the UK, some of which may be more abundant than others. In 2005, ICES advised that there should be reductions in exploitation for as many stocks as possible to allow the species to reach conservation targets.

Organically farmed Atlantic salmon or MSC certified Pacific salmon from Alaska. There are five salmon species from the Alaskan fishery all of which have been certified as sustainable to MSC standards.

Avoid eating because:

Atlantic halibut is heavily overfished, which means it is caught in such high numbers that a sustainable fishery cannot be maintained by the current population size. Assessed by IUCN - World Conservation Union as Endangered. Listed as a species of concern by NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in 2004.

Good alternatives:

Pacific halibut that has been certified to MSC standard from the US states of Alaska, Washington and Oregon.

Avoid eating because:

Greenland halibut is a long-lived, slow-growing species making it vulnerable to exploitation by commercial fisheries. The current level of stocks in relation to precautionary limits are unknown, but stocks are known to be low in all areas of its distribution. Recovery of stocks is needed to make them sustainable. Avoid eating Greenland halibut.

Good alternatives:

Choose Pacific halibut that has been certified to MSC standard from the US states of Alaska, Washington and Oregon.

Avoid eating because:

there is only one European eel stock and it is at a historical minimum. The stock continues to decline and is dangerously close to collapse. Eels are exploited in all life stages and those that are fished do not have the chance to breed. Eels spawn only once in their lifetime and it is almost certain they die after spawning. In 2007, European eel was listed under CITES Appendix II which allows trade in a species but under strict conditions. Eels are also farmed but rely on juveniles from wild stocks.

Good alternatives:

No similar fish can be recommended.

Avoid eating because:

Northern or Atlantic bluefin tuna is slow growing and long-lived, making it vulnerable to overfishing. Fishing on Atlantic stocks is currently unsustainable and stocks are below safe levels. Species listed by IUCN and OSPAR.

Good alternatives:

The most sustainable options for any of the tuna species are MSC certified albacore tuna from the American Albacore Fishing Association in the South Pacific, and pole and line caught skipjack tuna from the Republic of Maldives or the western and central Pacific. Ensure that tuna is certified as “dolphin-friendly” by the Earth Island Institute before purchasing.

Avoid eating because:

hake from the southern European stock which is depleted and fished at unsustainable levels.

Good alternatives:

Cape hake in South Africa has been certified as being sustainably managed by the MSC and is the best alternative to the overfished stocks of European hake.

Avoid eating because:

sturgeon are vulnerable to over-exploitation because they are generally long-lived and slow to mature, and depend on large rivers to spawn. Consequently many species are in rapid decline.

Good alternatives:

Farmed sturgeon and their caviar are a slightly more sustainable option than wild caught fish. They do however still rely on wild caught broodstock and because of this MCS give it a rating of 4. MCS would advise that you avoid caviar, but if you are going to buy it choose caviar from farmed sources.

Avoid eating because:

turbot from the Baltic Sea as no information is available to assess its sustainability. It is believed to be overexploited in the North Sea as landings have shown a decline in a number of areas. If choosing turbot from other areas, increase the sustainability of the fish you eat by choosing line-caught fish (where available) or fish caught in “dolphin-friendly” nets above the size (30cm) at which it matures. Avoid eating fresh (not previously frozen) turbot caught during the breeding season (April - August).

Good alternatives:

Farmed turbot are a more sustainable option.

Avoid eating because:

sharks are vulnerable to exploitation because they are slow-growing, long-lived, and have few offspring making them highly vulnerable to over-exploitation and population depletion. Porbeagle, shortfin mako and tope are assessed globally as vulnerable by IUCN.

Good alternatives:

no similar fish can be recommended so try something else from our “fish to eat” list.

Good to eat because

the best choice to make in terms of selectivity is to choose pilchard caught in coastal waters off Cornwall in the South West of England using traditional drift or ring nets.

Good to eat because

Grey gurnard are taken as by-catch in trawl fisheries in deeper offshore waters. Avoid eating immature fish (less than 24cm) and fresh (not previously frozen) fish caught during the spawning season (April-August). Taken as by-catch in trawl fisheries red gurnard is a fast growing fish which matures early at a large size. Avoid eating immature fish (less than 20cm) and fresh (not previously frozen) fish caught during the spawning season (summer).

Good to eat because

You can increase the sustainability of the fish you eat by choosing line-caught fish, or fish taken in fixed nets where measures to deter marine mammals have been adopted. Avoid eating immature fish (less than 23cm) caught prior to and during their spawning season (April & May in UK inshore waters), thus allowing them chance to spawn or reproduce.

Good to eat because

Coley or saithe stocks in the Northeast Arctic, North Sea, Skaggerak, West of Scotland and Rockall are currently healthy and harvested sustainably. Two Norwegian fisheries for saithe are currently undergoing assessment as environmentally responsible fisheries by the Marine Stewardship Council. Avoid eating immature saithe below 50-60 cms and during its breeding time January to March.

Good to eat because

most of the mackerel fisheries in the north-east Atlantic have been certified as environmentally responsible by the MSC but there are new issues arising from the over-allocation of quotas. The mackerel’s distribution has moved north and west. Iceland which has not traditionally fished for mackerel has declared a quota but other countries have not agreed to reduce their quota allocation accordingly. At the time of writing there is a diplomatic impasse which threatens stocks and MSC certifications. To ensure the mackerel you buy is from the most sustainable fisheries, look for handline or drift net fisheries. These traditional methods are highly selective and catch low volumes of fish compared to the larger pelagic trawlers and purse seiners.

Good to eat because

Common flatfish found throughout the north-east Atlantic. Best choice is from the west of Ireland and western Channel where the stock is believed to be healthy although immature fish should be avoided.

Good to eat because

it's regarded as a good alternative to its near relative, the Atlantic cod. It is found throughout the north-eastern Atlantic and line caught is the best.

Good to eat because

Tilapia are herbivores and therefore do not require feed based on wild fish, although some fish oil may be included in the feed. They are however farmed in high stocking densities. When buying any farmed fish ask your fish supplier if they have a buying policy to ensure they only source fish from farms with high environmental and welfare standards.

Good to eat because

Choose organically farmed brown or rainbow trout where it has been grown in cages with lower stocking density and fed on sustainable feed.

Good to eat because

Shellfish farming is an extensive, low-impact method of mariculture. High quality water standards are required for cultivation of shellfish for human consumption. Areas once noted for their large natural beds are now being used for oyster farming or cultivation including non-native species such as the Pacific oyster which are currently more widely cultivated than the native oyster.