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Fish - a guide to eating it with a clear conscience

The nutritional benefits of eating fish are well-known. It's high in protein, low in fat and many are rich with omega-3 oils. But a lot of our favourite fish are in danger from overfishing, so it's important to know which ones are good to eat

Tuna and cod have hit the headlines in the papers for all the wrong reasons. Both are in danger of extinction because of overfishing. So we should stop eating them, right? Not entirely, say the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), an organisation dedicated to sustainable fishing and the welfare of our seas. Some albacore tuna and cod are being fished responsibly, so are ok to eat. Look for the MSC's blue eco-label when buying or ordering in a restaurant to be sure it's the real deal.

Think before you buy
When buying fish, it's important to think about how it was caught. Trawling for those that live on the bottom can destroy huge areas of the sea bed, and gather up every living thing. Many of the animals caught don't even make it to the markets. Because of food fashions and the demand for certain types of fish, tonnes of dead and dying fish are just thrown back into the sea.

Buying farmed fish might seem like the obvious solution. But this is also fraught with difficulties as often it creates more ecological problems than it solves. Chemicals and antibiotics are needed to keep the captive fish healthy, and the food the fish eat are often wild caught. Without tides and water currents to help wash it away, the waste farmed fish produce can seriously damage the local marine environment.

So, what to eat, what to avoid? As a general rule, fish with the eco-labels are either fished sustainably or farmed in environmentally responsible ways. Look for the Marine Stewardship Council logo, or Soil Association logo for farmed organic fish. If you're not sure about the fish on the fishmonger's slab, ask how was it caught, whether it was farmed or wild and whether it's from sustainable stocks. Only buy fish that you know isn't under threat.

Fish to avoid
Fish to eat

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