14 Apr 2026
Image description: a plate of fish and chips. Photo by Nik British consumers are being urged to “completely avoid” UK-caught cod after the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) downgraded the species to its lowest possible rating in its twice-yearly Good Fish Guide – a stark verdict on a fish that has been central to British culture for generations. […]
10 Mar 2026
Photo by Franki Chamaki A wave of UK supermarkets is pulling back from northeast Atlantic mackerel amid growing concern over stock levels, after scientific advice called for a 70% reduction in catches to allow populations to recover. Waitrose moved first, announcing on 26 February that it would suspend sourcing of fresh, chilled and frozen mackerel by […]
10 Oct 2023
The Marine Conservation Society has released the latest update to its Good Fish Guide, which sees 53 rating changes, with 19 ratings moving down the sustainability scale. The Good Fish Guide includes 337 ratings for seafood caught in UK waters, split into three categories, where ‘green’ is the most sustainable best choice; ‘amber’, which indicates there are some […]
10 Apr 2023
The Marine Conservation Society’s latest ‘Good Fish Guide’ relegates mackerel from green list, while eel and Celtic cod remain on unsustainable red list. Mackerel is no longer deemed a sustainable seafood choice after the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has warned that populations of the fish have been in steady decline in recent years. […]
18 Oct 2022
The Marine Conservation Society has called on the government to deliver better fisheries management following the publication of its Good Fish Guide. The charity said ‘Our Good Fish Guide is rigorously reviewed and updated with the latest scientific advice twice a year. We focus on a different set of ratings each time, based on when […]
12 Apr 2022
Brown crab and lobster were reviewed with this update to the Guide, with most ratings needing improvement and some joining the Fish to Avoid list. Population levels were found to be suffering across the board, largely due to poor management, with no catch limits in place. There’s also a risk of whale entanglement in the […]
15 Mar 2020
The MCS Good Fish Guide uses a traffic light system to illustrate the sustainability of seafood available in the UK. Species are assessed based on a number of factors, including where they were caught or farmed and the fishing method. The latest edition has added trawl-caught cuttlefish from the English Channel onto the list of […]
17 Mar 2019
Robert Goodwill has been appointed as Fisheries Minister at Defra. He takes over from George Eustice who has resigned over issues concerning the delay to Brexit votes. Goodwill has arrived to receive a scathing letter from the Lords concerning quotas MCS Debbie Crockard: ‘New fisheries minister – more than just goodwill will be needed in […]
