What is sustainable seafood?
Put simply, it means that the food on your plate has been managed and caught responsibly. This means you won’t be eating endangered species, and will be supporting people and fisheries that work with the future in mind. This ensures we can enjoy seafood for generations to come and in doing so we can improve the health of our oceans.
It’s important to support sustainable options at the supermarket and when dining out. To do this all you need is a little basic knowledge – or an app like the Good Fish Guide to remember it all for you!
Buying your own food is easy; check your shopping list doesn’t include any seafood on the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) Red List. Look out for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Aquaculture Stewardship and Freedom Food labels.
Eating out can be a bit trickier, as menus might not tell you exactly what fish goes into their fish pie. And once you find out what the fish is, how do you know if it’s sustainable?
Well, there are some safe options if the restaurant can’t tell you themselves.
Prawns: Choose small prawns; large prawns are likely to be farmed, and if your restaurant can’t confirm whether or not they are organic, it’s best to give them a miss.
Salmon: Choose farmed, not wild, unless the restaurant can confirm it has been caught from a river with a healthy salmon population.
Cod and Haddock: North Sea fisheries have recently increased to healthy levels, with the best options being MSC certified.
With all of these things in mind, I’ve put together a list of the best places to eat sustainable seafood across the UK.J Sheeky Oyster Bar, London Located in the West End, the Oyster Bar is passionate about sustainable seafood. They commit to not serving anything on the MCS Red List, and support small UK fisheries. With a menu including Devon crab and Atlantic prawns alongside light seafood dishes, you can have a taste of the sea in the heart of London.