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Fish and chips

Endangered Fish

In recent years, fish has become a hot political issue, with serious implications for those who try to eat ethically. The problem is over-fishing, which has resulted in the populations of an alarming number of the most popular food species being seriously depleted. The Marine Conservation Society, a charity set up in 1977, monitors the situation closely, and tries to persuade supermarkets and restaurants not to trade in fish that have been caught in the affected areas.

In cod we trust

Fisherman on trawler emptying nets
A fisherman empties the nets
© TopFoto.co.uk
Much of the focus of conservationists’ efforts has been on cod. This has traditionally been Britain’s favourite fish, staple of the chip-shop industry and also, since the 1990s, star of many a smart restaurant menu, where its firm, flavourful, chunky flesh lends itself to a wide variety of culinary treatments. In southern Europe, dried and salted cod is a highly esteemed ingredient in many recipes. The Portuguese, who call it bacalhau, claim to have a salt cod recipe for every day of the year.

North Atlantic cod, subject of the cod wars of the 1970s between Britain and Iceland, is now seriously overfished, particularly in the regions around Greenland, and will need a period of many years to recover. The favoured alternative fishing ground for cod, around the Canadian province of Newfoundland, is in a similar state.

Other threatened species

"The Good Fish Guide", published by the Marine Conservation Society
"The Good Fish Guide", published by the Marine Conservation Society
© Marine Conservation Society
Along with cod, haddock has been the other great standby of fish-and-chip shops. Related to cod, it has a slightly less firm flesh, but flakes as well as cod when cooked. It has also traditionally been sold in smoked form in the fishmongers (often dyed an unnecessary lurid yellow colour). The habitat of haddock is much the same as for cod, the cold waters of the North Atlantic, and its popularity is such that it is just as threatened as cod in these areas. If you buy fresh haddock, look for fish from the North Sea, western Scotland or Iceland.

The following species are also on the official IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Red List of those in danger:


  • Atlantic salmon
  • Atlantic halibut
  • North Sea turbot
  • Hake
  • Plaice (except from the Irish Sea)
  • Monkfish
  • Sea bass (trawler-caught)
  • Skate
  • Shark
  • Swordfish
  • Marlin
  • Tiger prawns (trawler-caught)
  • Tuna (except yellowfin and skipjack)


For further information, see the MCS Fish to Avoid list:

www.fishonline.org/advice/avoid/


What can we eat?

These are the species that environmentally conscientious fish-lovers should be buying. Where possible, avoid any fish that has been caught by beam trawlers, which cause huge damage to deep-sea ecosystems, and choose those that have been line-caught.

Try to ensure that the shellfish on this list have been sustainably harvested, preferably collected by hand by divers, rather than by dredging.

  • Pacific cod
  • Pacific halibut
  • Pacific salmon
  • Black bream
  • Herring
  • Mackerel
  • Lemon sole
  • Dublin Bay prawns (a.k.a. Langoustines or Scampi)
  • Scallops
  • Mussels
  • Oysters
  • Clams


For further information, see the MCS Fish to Eat list:

www.fishonline.org/advice/eat/