One in six people in the UK are eating more fish and seafood than they were a year ago, according to a survey for the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
Over 65% of those eating more said they have increased their fish intake because they are trying to eat more healthily.
Toby Middleton, programme director for MSC in the UK, said: "At this time of year, many of us resolve to eat more healthily or try new things, and incorporating more fish in our diets can be a good way to achieve both goals.”
“But our poll took place before New Year’s resolutions were made, so clearly for a lot of people the switch to eating more fish is not just for January - there seems to be a growing, year-round interest in ‘meat-free Mondays’, for example, as people try to cut back on the amount of meat they eat, without becoming out-and-out vegetarians,” he added.
One third of people who were eating more fish said it was because they had reduced the amount of meat they eat, though just 2% said they had become pescatarian or cut meat out of their diet altogether.
"As demand for seafood increases, so does the need to protect our oceans from overfishing. That means it’s increasingly important to ensure that the fish we eat is caught sustainably, so that future seafood supplies and the marine environment are safeguarded," added Mr Middleton.
He concluded: "Consumers can play their part by choosing seafood with the blue MSC ecolabel.”
When MSC ecolabel products are chosen by consumers, it rewards fisheries that are committed to sustainable sourcing.
