A range of fish has been added to a list of ‘avoid’ foods as conservationists warn of the urgent need to fix Britain’s fisheries.
Monkfish, some rays and rays from the North Sea and western Scotland, as well as some sources of crabs and lobsters, are among 14 marine life species rated red by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).
The charity has updated its assessment of UK seafood in its Quality Fish Guide, which uses a traffic light system to inform shoppers and diners which fish sources are sustainable.
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Green is the best option, amber is edible but needs improvement, and red indicates fish to avoid.
The latest guide assesses options for 656 species and areas for fishing, of which 148 are now on the top picks list, but 161 are rated seafood to avoid.
Fish and seafood are rated red when they are assessed for overfishing, mismanagement and stress, or environmental damage due to fishing or the accidental capture of wildlife (aka bycatch).
The latest guide includes new ratings for Scottish brown crabs and lobsters, with eight of the nine new ratings listed as amber or red, with Shetland brown crabs receiving the UK’s only green rating option.
The ratings are based on fears of mismanagement causing populations to suffer and, in some areas, whales being tangled in ropes around jars for fishing seafood.
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Monkfish from the North Sea and western Scotland was moved to avoid being listed as numbers fell from a peak in 2017 to the lowest since 2013, with conservationists warning of poor management and excessive fishing pressure .
Most Good Fish Guide ratings for rays and rays have them on their list of fish to avoid, there are currently no green rating options and very few are listed as amber.
Elsewhere, there was better news for North Sea herring, which returned to the top selection with more stocks than previously thought, and South Celtic and English Channel sardines also rising to green ratings.
Mackerel maintains a green rating, squid and langoustine are the amber options if trawled, but best if potted, and the Isle of Man king and queen scallops are improving.
The Celtic Sea had mixed reviews for haddock, cod and cod, and warned that the amount of cod and cod caught there was dangerously low – and called for an ecosystem-based management approach that would take all catch species together.
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Charlotte Coombs, Good Fish Guide manager, said: “The latest Good Fish Guide ratings underscore how the UK’s oceans can be better managed to stop overfishing and protect wildlife.”
The latest ratings come as the UK government is consulting on a new legislative framework to manage local fisheries, known as the Joint Fisheries Statement, and has introduced a number of fisheries management plans.
The MCS, WWF and RSPB are calling for the framework to be strengthened to better protect the UK’s oceans.
Conservation charities want to see a commitment to restoring depleted stocks within a set time frame through effective ecosystem-based management, a firm commitment to roll out camera surveillance on fishing vessels, and urgent and effective action to tackle bycatch in UK waters .
They also want to see a climate-smart fisheries strategy to achieve the industry’s net zero target by 2050, with the goal of reducing carbon emissions from the UK fleet and protecting ‘blue carbon’ stores such as seagrass and seabeds from destructive activities such as the seafloor impact on trawling.
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Clara Johnston, Fisheries Policy Manager at the Ocean Conservancy, said: “For a thriving industry, future food security and the health of our oceans, it is vital that the UK Government seizes the new opportunities presented by the Joint Fisheries Statement and Fisheries Management Plan. Fixing us fishery.
“The latest Good Fish Guide ratings, with all new UK ratings being either amber or red, demonstrate the urgent need for transparency and better management if we are to restore fish stocks in UK waters.”
A UK government spokesman said: “The Joint Fisheries Statement defines our approach to resilient fisheries and a healthy marine environment.
“We are consulting on its content and welcome input from fisheries and environmental groups to ensure our waters are better protected and fished sustainably.”
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Emily Beament is the PA Environmental Correspondent.
