At FishWorks, we build great emphasis on sourcing fresh and sustainable seafood in our restaurants and fishmongers. Daily morning catches from the South Coast brings us great variety of fish, giving our guests the choice from our counters to dine in or take out. With so much talk about protecting our planet, it is important now more than ever before to focus on our sustainability and responsibility to our oceans and fishermen.
What does sustainable seafood mean?
Sourcing fish sustainably means fishing whilst leaving enough fish in the sea to help maintain their habitat and also the livelihood of the fishermen
How can you help?
With our restaurants and fishmongers currently closed due to lockdown, here are some tips from the Marine Conservation Society to making sure you help the sustainable seafood movement:
1. Be better informed
Keep visiting the MCS website and learn all you can about the issues facing our seas and oceans and how you can make a difference. Find out where your seafood comes from and why making the right choice is good for you: https://www.mcsuk.org/
2. Check MCS’ detailed sustainability ratings
Their Good Fish Guide is for anyone interested in sustainable seafood. It has over 650 ratings and sustainability information for over 150 species most commonly traded in the UK.
3. Carry an MCS pocket guide or download the app - FREE!
Carry an MCS pocket guide or download the smartphone app to remind you of these ratings while you’re out and about, or use it for writing your shopping list.
4. Spread the word
Tell your family and friends all about the importance of choosing sustainable seafood and point them in the direction of the MCS website to find out more!
5. Variety is the spice of life
This is especially true when it comes to eating seafood. As consumers we are too reliant on the “Big 5” (Cod, Haddock, Tuna, Salmon and Prawns). There are many great alternatives, like hake or coley instead of cod and haddock, rainbow trout instead of salmon, and herring or sardines instead of tuna.
6. Choose fish caught using methods with lower environmental impact
Buy seafood caught in a more environmentally friendly way - handline, pole and line, pot or trap or dive caught - or from fisheries using best practices to reduce discards and habitat impacts. These methods generally have less impact on other species.
7. Look at labelling
Retailers and brands are required by EU law to state the species of fish, production method (wild caught/farmed), capture area and capture method for unprocessed seafood products. If the labelling information is insufficient for you to make an informed choice, ask the fishmonger/waiter for more information, specifically where the fish is caught and how.
8. Look for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) logo
Seafood displaying this mark can be found in the frozen and fresh counter sections of your retailer, and are becoming increasingly popular in restaurants. They indicate the seafood in the product has come from well managed fisheries and is fully traceable.
9. Choose Organic
Organically farmed seafood comes from farms with lower stocking densities, high standards of environmental performance and are fed with feed sourced in a sustainable manner.
10. Avoid red rated seafood
Red rated seafood (rated 5 on the Good Fish Guide) represents seafood from the most unsustainable fisheries and fish farming methods. It includes endangered species like European eel and wild northeast Atlantic Halibut and also seafood from damaging fishing and farming methods that need substantial improvement.