The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has launched a new consumers guide to eating ‘eco-friendly’ fish  – the MCS Good Fish Guide.

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The Guide has been written to inform consumers about which fish can be eaten and which should be avoided, to reduce overfishing and damage to the marine environment. Production of the Guide was supported by the Loch Fyne Marine Trust and Project AWARE (UK). 


Professor David Bellamy will launch the publication on February 19th at an event hosted by Loch Fyne Restaurants, who have already removed three fish species from their menu on advice from MCS.


Martha Holmes, BBC TV producer for the Blue Planet series, wrote the introduction to the Good Fish Guide. He said: “The Good Fish Guide comes at a critical time and has an important role to play in our lives. Many people are aware of the over-fishing problem, but would like to learn about the bigger picture and know how they can make a difference as consumers.”


The MCS Good Fish Guide includes details for over 60 species commonly on sale in UK fishmongers, supermarkets, pubs and restaurants – how and where they are caught and whether they come from sustainably managed stocks. It provides information on a range of environmental and social issues associated with catching, processing and eating fish. The Guide also identifies a list of the top 20 most vulnerable species to be avoided by those consumers concerned about the impact their exploitation is having on stocks and the environment.

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Bernadette Clarke, Fisheries Officer for the MCS and author of the Guide, said: “Consumers can help protect fish stocks by avoiding vulnerable or overfished species such as shark, skate, Atlantic cod, monkfish and swordfish. They should choose fish from properly managed sources that are caught using methods which have the least impact on the sea and its wildlife.”


To assist consumers, MCS will be advising fish suppliers, supermarkets and restaurant chains to provide more information on how and where their stocks are fished, and to avoid selling the “top 20” species which are listed on the MCS website at www.mcsuk.org.

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