5 Tips for Choosing Sustainable Seafood
Seafood is one of the healthiest food choices you can make. Globally, seafood is the primary source of protein for more than three billion people, and science shows that eating seafood can improve brain, heart and eye health.
But many seafood staples are under threat as overfishing continues to put pressure on wild fish stocks and concerns about the environmental impact of aquaculture continue to rise. As consumers, it can be difficult to know we’re making sustainable seafood choices. Lack of transparency undermines sustainable fisheries and reduces our confidence in our choices.
But there are some steps we can all take when sourcing seafood to support sustainable seafood choices.
Here are five tips to be mindful of next time you buy seafood.
Choose Seafood Ecolabels
Seafood originating from wild fisheries and aquaculture with ecolabel certifications like the Marine Stewardship Council and Aquaculture Stewardship Council have higher environmental standards.
Yes, they are not perfect, but in the murky waters of seafood sustainability, my view is that something is better than nothing.
2. Check sustainability ratings
In the UK, the Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide is easy to use and is regularly updated so you can trust its certifications are in line with the latest science. With it’s straightforward traffic light system and suggestions of ‘best choice’ and ‘fish to avoid’ you can’t go wrong.
Other sustainable seafood guides from around the world are available.
3. Diversify Your Seafood Choices
In the UK, approximately 80% of consumed seafood is from just five species: cod, haddock, salmon, tuna and prawns. By mixing it up and diversifying our seafood choices, we can relieve the pressure on the big five. You might surprise yourself and uncover a new favourite!
4. Eat More Shellfish
Mussels, oysters, scallops, cockles, and more—shellfish are the way to go when considering sustainability.
Species lower down the food chain tend to reproduce more quickly and require fewer resources to farm.
5. Eat Seasonally
It might seem like a weird concept to eat seafood seasonally. We’ve become so dependent on all food being available as and when we want it that we’ve lost touch with the natural rhythm of the planet. But like other foods, seafood also has seasonality. For example, avoiding consuming fish during their spawning period is a great way to support sustainable fish stocks as it allows fish to reproduce before being harvested. Read more about the importance of seafood seasonality here.