MCS’s Good Fish Guide also says unclear labelling on seafood products means shoppers should ask if their choice is sustainable

Consumers are being urged by a UK marine conservation charity to eat more pollock and less squid in a fresh attempt to alleviate pressure on threatened stocks.

The Marine Conservation Society on Thursday published updates to its 2018 Good Fish Guide, detailing which are the best fishes to eat in terms of sustainability.

Warning of a lack of clear labelling on packaging as well as menus, it also advises shoppers to ask their fishmonger, supermarket fish counter or restaurant whether their choice is sustainable.

The MCS wants the public, chefs, retailers and fish buyers to refer to the Good Fish Guide to ensure they have the most up-to-date sustainable seafood advice.

Quick guide The MCS's best and worst rated fish Show Hide Rated 1: "Best choice" Pollock - Alaska/Walleye Native oysters (sail and oar) European hake (gill or fixed) Herring/sild (MCS-certified) Coley/saithe (MCS-certified) Haddock (from Rockall or MCS-certified) Rated 5: "Avoid"

Seabass (caught at sea) Dover Sole (from the Irish sea and pulse trawled) Plaice (from south-west Ireland and caught using pulse trawls) Sturgeon (wild-caught) Squid (common or European squid caught in the English Channel with fishing gear other than jigs)

“Choosing sustainable seafood is a complex issue not helped by a lack of clear labelling on most seafood products,” said Bernadette Clarke, programme manager of the Good Fish Guide. “That lack of information means consumers need all the help they can get. Using the Good Fish Guide will point people in the right direction and start the sustainability conversation with the fishmonger or restaurant. If consumers can start asking ‘Is that sustainable?’, seafood suppliers will need to have an answer.”

Squid, a popular fixture on many restaurant menus and widely available on seafood counters and in supermarket freezer sections, is described as a “mixed bag” when it comes to consumer choice. The species is flourishing in the UK as the waters around the shores grow warmer.

While squid caught using jigs (a type of hook and line that is very selective compared with trawling) – from the Channel and Scotland is rated a 3, meaning it is OK, elsewhere squid has the worst rating, a 5– which means consumers are advised to avoid it.

Haddock remains a fish and chip shop staple and the newly rated Rockall fishery has been rated 1, making it a guilt-free “best choice”. Haddock from the North Sea and west of Scotland has improved from 3 to 2, meaning it can again be considered a “good choice” after fishing pressure has continued to reduce and stocks have increased.

Meanwhile, consumers who fear that a fish burger may be nothing more than the scrapings off the factory floor may be reassured. Alaskan pollock, which is used in the McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish, is also rated a 1.

Eat herring and mackerel to support UK after Brexit, urges charity Read more

Dover sole, often regarded as an upmarket fish, is rated 2 when it comes from the western Channel or Cornwall, or is MCS-certified from the North Sea. But if the sole on your plate comes trawled from the Irish Sea, or is electric-pulse-trawled from the North Sea, the MCS urges you to reconsider: it is rated a 5.

In March the charity said less popular UK species such as dab, hake, herring and mackerel should be Britons’ fish supper of choice in order to support the UK fishing industry and help the seas. For the first time it suggested a “post-Brexit” UK top 10 including species of fish that are not household names. The organisation says that as the UK prepares to leave the EU and tries to secure a bigger share of the fish market, now could be the time to consider new options.