News
Latest fish ratings – time to be seafood savvy post-Brexit?
The Marine Conservation Society urges a move away from UK’s traditional top five favourite fish
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has updated its online Good Fish Guide with some exciting new additions to its green rated ‘Best Choice’ list. The charity says that, as the UK prepares to leave the EU and fisheries talks get underway to try to secure a bigger share of the fish post Brexit, now may be the time to swap the traditional UK top five favourite fish for new choices.
Megrim from Rockall, Northern North Sea and West of Scotland; North Sea line and trap-caught or UK farmed turbot; line-caught pollack from the Celtic Sea; lemon sole, seine netted from the North Sea and eastern English Channel and queen scallop, traditionally caught in the Fal Estuary in Cornwall, all appear on the Good Fish Guide green-rated Best Choice List.
“Although they may not trip off the tongue like cod, mackerel and plaice, these could, and should be, the fish supper of the future,” says Bernadette Clarke, MCS Good Fish Guide Programme Manager. “UK consumers tend to stick to their tried and tested Top Five – both in taste and familiarity but not always sustainability. Cod, tuna, salmon, haddock and prawns, from the right sources are all OK, but there’s so much more to explore and the new additions to the Best Choice list are a good place to start.”
Getting onto the Good Fish Guide, Best Choice list is good news for any fishery because it identifies fish from these fisheries as the best choices a consumer or buyer can make to increase the sustainability of their purchases. MCS says consumers can help the marine environment and the UK’s fishing and aquaculture industries by diversifying their choice in fish and choosing less popular and underutilised species. This, says the charity, will help encourage demand for the most sustainable and local seafood, and reduce the amount of fish exported in favour of developing UK markets.
“We are currently exporting around 75% of fish caught and landed in the UK, but we’re the ninth largest importer of fish in the world with around 70% of the seafood value entering the UK fish supply chain coming from overseas. By choosing more sustainable sources and keeping it local it will help reduce wasting wild caught fish that are discarded dead because they have less value,” says Bernadette Clarke.
MCS is suggesting a post-Brexit UK Top 10 which includes great tasting fish that aren’t a household name.
“We’re suggesting that dab, hake, herring, mussels and mackerel become the new cod, haddock, salmon, prawns and tuna. By choosing from a wider range we’ll be putting far less stress on individual fisheries,” says Bernadette Clarke, who suggests the following –
The MCS Best Choice Top 10
- Dab, seine netted in the North Sea
- Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Certified hake from Cornwall
- MSC certified herring from Irish, Celtic and North Seas, SW Ireland and Eastern English Channel
- Mackerel, handlined in the southwest of England, and MINSA (Mackerel Industry Northern Sustainability Alliance) North East Atlantic MSC certified
- Megrim from the Northern North Sea and West of Scotland
- UK rope-grown mussels
- Brown crab from Devon Inshore Potting Area, Western Channel
- Queen scallops from the Fal Estuary, fished by trad. sail and oar method
- Pollack handlined from the Celtic sea
- Sole, Dover from the Western Channel
MCS says that there are some very good reasons for going local aside from complicated economics: lower food miles and carbon footprint; fresh fish can be tastier and better quality; good for the local economy; more choices; better traceability so you get what you pay for.
Other red and green changes
In the latest Good Fish Guide updates, MSC certified brown crab from both Shetland and Orkney; MSC certified sardine ring-netted in Cornwall and harpooned swordfish all move off the Best Choice list. Green listed non-movers this time around include Pacific halibut, mackerel and organic farmed Atlantic salmon. At the other end of the scale is the red rated, Fish to Avoid list. Fisheries moving onto the red list include ones for red mullet; nursehound; cuckoo, spotted and roker ray species; wild seabass from Biscay; Atlantic bigeye. Improving and off the red list are undulate ray from the English Channel; albacore from the Mediterranean and bigeye from western central Pacific Ocean. Non-movers on the red list are wild seabass; skate; shark; spurdog and wild Atlantic salmon.
“For many years MCS has been advocating consumers diversify the types of fish they eat and so relieve demand for traditional or more popular species such as cod and haddock. Although the health benefits of eating fish is well recognised and Government advice from the Food Standards Agency has been to eat at least two portions of fish a week, including a portion of oily fish, the Agency also recognises since 2010, the importance of eating a wide variety of fish and fish from sustainable sources,” said Bernadette Clarke.
MCS sustainable seafood work is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.
Clara Govier, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery says: “It is great to see consumers using their power by making the right choices on which seafood to eat. However you access it, the Good Fish Guide gives instant advice on what to eat and how to cook it, whether you’re shopping for the family in the supermarket or looking for a place to eat out. I’m delighted that players of People’s Postcode Lottery are able to support this initiative.”
The MCS Good Fish Guide Fish is available at: www.goodfishguide.co.uk, as an app on iPhone or android, and paper credit card sized version – the Pocket Good Fish Guide.
News
Spooktacular Underwater Adventure: Oyster Diving’s First Halloween Scuba Party at Mercers Lake
Last Thursday, Oyster Diving transformed Mercers Lake into a hauntingly unforgettable underwater realm for their inaugural Halloween Scuba Party. Approximately 20 intrepid divers plunged into the darkness, weaving through a mesmerising scene of spectral decorations, glow sticks, and eerie underwater pumpkins.
After the thrilling night dive, participants gathered to feast on a ghoulish spread of pumpkin soup, chilli con carne, and decadent fudge brownies, perfect fuel for the frightful festivities.
With a resounding success, Oyster Diving is excited to announce plans for this event to become an annual tradition. Next year, look forward to a fully licensed bar and live music, promising an even spookier celebration under the moonlit waters.
Join us next Halloween for an experience that promises to be a haunting delight!
Find out more about Oyster Diving at oysterdiving.com.
Marine Life & Conservation
Shark Trust launches Oceanic 31 Shark Art Auction
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
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