Sustainable Fish

Whats wrong that means we should think before we buy?

Currently there is a great deal of wasted fish due to discarding, caused primarily due to: The fish are too small to be legally landedThey are fish for which there is currently little marketThere is a market for the fish, but a vessel has no quota (its has used it up possibly)Some vessels will choose to discard small or low value (albeit legal) fish in favour of utilising its quota allowance to land larger fish which are worth more money (often referred to as high-grading)

Bycatch can also include, dolphins, birds and other species

Other problems include (suggested by the Angling Trust):For many species, the EU minimum landing sizes are set below levels that allow fish to reproduce Minimum mesh sizes are far too smallClose to shore nursery areas and estuaries are still subjected to trawling, one of the most indiscriminate methods of fishingGill netting and tangle netting have no linear restrictions so some inshore vessels are now working up to 40 miles of net

Industrial scale fishing problems include;Industrial scale bottom trawling (in particular otter and beam trawling) can damage the sea bed and its speciesMuch farmed salmon has environmental impacts and requires three kilogrammes of perfectly edible and healthy fish to produce one kilogramme of salmonTuna, caught by purse seine nets often results in the deaths of sharks, dolphins and turtlesAbout 70% of EU fisheries are over fished

Buying Sustainable Fish;

This is your chance to make a difference as you have the consumer power to change things.

Buying from a local fisherman or fishmonger rather than a supermarket, has advantages. It allows you to ask exactly by which method the fish was caught and where. Buying local fish also means that it has not been transported far, reducing its carbon footprint, and your purchase will support the local economy directly. Fish from inshore day fishermen will usually be much fresher than most other fish supplies. Goodfish suggests you should ask the following questions or seek out MSC labelled fish. If you cannot get a satisfactory answer, do not buy it;

Q; Has it been caught by small local inshore boats that set out and return on the same day?

Q; I want to avoid fish caught by otter, beam or pair trawlers, are these fish caught other fishing methods?

Q; When is the fish breeding season for this fish? I would like to avoid the main breeding season.

Further information and links are outlined below;

Fish Online - Fish purchasing guide

Sustainable Seafood and a range of other information

Smart Sussex article

Buyers guide to the most ethical tinned tuna

Other tipsIf you buy farmed salmon, by organic, its less crowded and well, organic!Cat food can be found made from sustainable fishBuy MSC approved fishAsk for dabs, whiting, red gurnard, mackerel and cuttlefish locally to support and create new demand

If you do nothing else, then avoid otter, beam and pair trawl caught fish

Greenpeace ask people never to buy fish that has been caught using large boats and a bottom trawl as this can be one of the most destructive methods of fishing. If you do nothing else, by taking this stand, you could help change attitudes and put pressure on Governments to change their policy. Pair trawling in the Channel is responsible for many dolphin and porpoise deaths. New rules and trawl designs make some trawl fisheries less damaging and those included in the MSC fisheries are probably more sustainable. Under 10 metre long inshore day trawlers are potentially far less damaging and will be discussed elsewhere on this web site.

Larger scale fishing such as beam trawlers will always be needed to ensure the quantity and regular supply of fish, but better controls and rules are needed before this should be considered sustainable.

Greenpeace information on bottom trawling

Greenpeace information on Channel pair trawling

Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fisheries

MSC is a global eco-label program which enables certified fisheries to brand themselves as a sustainable source of seafood. Sustainable seafood is generally defined as species with healthy populations, harvested from well-managed fisheries that don't cause significant harm to ocean environments and other sea life.MSC Certification is the only worldwide sustainable fisheries scheme.

There are still some questionmarks over the scheme and we need to keep a close eye on the concerns. For example no fishery has ever been denied certification after completing the MSC assessment process, and no objection to a certification has ever been upheld. There are also current objections, for example the Sockey Salmon in Canada.

You should for now however seek out these fish if you can find them, but maybe think about the local Sussex inshore fish as a better alternative?. We are lucky that we can have both in Sussex, as we have two MSC Certified fisheries for dover sole, herring and mackerel available from Hastings and we should all support this excellent and sustainable source of local fish;  
Marine Conservation Society Good Fish Guide  Hastings Dover Sole MSC fishery  
Hastings Herring & Mackerel MSC Fishery

Always ask about your fish and avoid spawning times if you can

Always ask the person you buy fish from where and how their fish is caught - if they can't tell you or if you are not completely satisfied with their answer, don't buy the fish! You will support and even create the demand for sustainable fish this way. Avoiding buying fish during their spawning season allows them to breed and replenish their populations; find out these seasons at MCS. Remember frozen fish may provide a solution to the spawning season issue.

Other local fish we should eat more often

Red Gurnard (Aspitrigla cuculus) is a relatively plentiful fish available between August and March. It is fast
growing and matures early. It is caught regularly but often discarded or sold for pot bait. This is a good tasting fish and potentially a future sustainable local species - Why not ask your fishmonger and give it a try?

Dab (Limanda limanda) is the smallest member of the plaice family. It has a sweet taste and is also relatively plentiful, but under utilised by the public. It is available and best bought between July and February to avoid its spawning season.

Hastings MSC certified Herring Mackerel and Dover Sole; See above

Whiting (Merlangius merlangus) is the smallest member of the Cod family. It is supposedly plentiful in the English Channel and underutilised as a fish for the table.

Cuttlefish

Recent article link to explain more about these less popular fish

Line caught fish - potentially the most sustainable fishing method

Local line caught fish may be available, just ask for it - Find out more in Cornwall   Line caught