Are you among the two thirds of the UK population looking to eat more healthily? Or among the near half of Brits making dietary decisions to protect the planet? Then sustainably caught seafood is your food friend!
The NHS recommends we all eat two portions of fish a week, of which one should be an oily fish, while some wild seafood has a carbon footprint 50 times smaller than red meat. So, all you need are some helpful pointers to those species that are healthy – for you and the environment – are affordable, and readily available in a shop or restaurant near you.
We’ve identified four seafood species – all from British and Irish waters, all certified to the MSC Standard for sustainable fishing – and rated them for their health, sustainability, availability and affordability. Kind of like playing seafood Top Trumps, if you will. And to top it off we’ve provided some recipe inspo, too.
Mussels
Health creds
These bivalves are packed full of protein (around 16g per 100g), zinc, vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids, iron and folic acid, providing all the same health benefits as herring plus the extra bonus of reducing inflammations and helping you fight infections.
Sustainability
They’re one of the planet’s most environmentally efficient sources of protein, clean their surrounding waters and encourage a proliferation of undersea flora and other species to flourish. In fact, one expert, Dr David Willer, of Cambridge University, has calculated that if we grew mussels in just 1% of the world’s suitable coastline, we could produce enough to meet the protein needs of more than one billion people.
Availability
Most larger supermarkets and specialist fishmongers sell fresh and prepared mussels, some with a ready-made sauce, and there are plenty of MSC labelled options out there. Rockfish restaurants – a dozen branches in the South West – regularly serve MSC certified mussels, in a variety of ways.
Affordability
Packs of fresh mussels typically cost in the region of £7 per kg – that’s comfortably less than half the price of a rump steak. If you’re unsure of the quantity you’ll need, buy a bag of frozen, take what you want and re-seal. For convenience, try canned – and pay about £3 a tin.
Recipes
There’s a long list of mussel dishes you can try at home.
Herring
Health creds
A sure-fire ‘A-lister’ in this category, herring is full of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12 and vitamin D. Regular herring eaters can experience improved heart health and brain function as well as lower blood pressure. It also weighs in with a punchy 23g of protein per 100g.
Sustainability
Herring has bounced back after years of careful management. Stocks have soared and herring is now plentiful in the North Sea, where there are several MSC certified fisheries.
Availability
Sometimes sold fresh in supermarkets, herring is more widely available tinned (in all of the large retailers) and in its smoked form – kippers – in many of those large stores. Lussmanns (seven restaurants in South East England and London) regularly serves MSC certified kipper pâté – part of something of a renaissance for this once ubiquitous breakfast item.
Affordability
At around £6 per kg, fresh herring is great value. You can bag a whole MSC certified kipper for around £2.50 too. While tinned herring shouldn’t set you back more than a couple of quid and a large pot of pickled herring – often known as rollmops - comes in at around £4.
Mussel recipes for you to try at home
Sardines
Health creds
These silvery beauties share the same health profile as herrings – as a serious of source of protein (close to 20g per 100g) and acting as a rich source of those essential omega-3 fatty acids.
Sustainability
Here’s a British seafood success story. Stocks in the waters around Cornwall have soared in recent years and despite increased demand, the day boats operate under strict catch limits to ensure the future fish lovers can enjoy Cornish sardines too.
Availability
The Cornish fleet fishes from July to February, allowing the sardines to replenish in the spring. During the fishing season, Waitrose and Ocado sell them fresh. For sardines in a tin – you couldn’t do much better than the MSC UK Product of the Year 2024 – Tesco’s finest Cornish sardines in a rich tomato, olive and sauce, priced at just £1.15, whack them on toast and you’ve got a lunchtime treat cheaper than most high street sandwiches. Both Lussmanns and Rockfish regularly serve Cornish sardines.
Affordability
During the season you’ll be looking to pay about £11 per kg for fresh sardines, and for their canned cousins something like £1.15 a tin.
Recipes
Hake
Health creds
Hake is low in fat, making it one of the healthier, low-fat alternatives to red or processed meat. It is a good source of two valuable antioxidants – magnesium and selenium. Protein-wise – a very respectable 17g per 100g.
Sustainability
Hake is another Cornish fishing success story. After a dip in number in the 1990s, stocks bounced back, and the Cornish hake fishery gained MSC status in 2015. In the 10 years since, it’s gained in popularity while the fishermen from Newlyn keep strictly within the 2,000 tonne limit they’re set. Using large mesh nets, they’re also able to avoid catching the smaller, younger fish.
Availability
While not widely available in UK supermarkets, Cornish hake can be found frozen at Waitrose and can be bought fresh from Ocado and several online specialist fish sellers. MSC certified hake is a regular on the Lussmanns menu – often served with parmentier potatoes, rosemary and chilli. At Rockfish they like to cook it ‘a la planca’ with a romesco sauce.
Affordability
Hake does come in a little pricier than the previous seafood options on the list, but at just a bit more than £20 per kg it is either similar or slightly cheaper than its cousin, cod – and choosing species that aren’t amongst the ‘Big Five’ (cod, haddock, salmon, tuna and prawns) really helps biodiversity.
Recipes
With your seafood Top Trumps to hand, you’re all set to buy, cook, order and enjoy British caught, healthy and planet friendly fish that won’t break the bank.