Although the ‘big five’ fish are most popular with British consumers, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) says that sustainable seasonal favourites like lobster, crab and caviar are on sale for less than a fiver right now, so it’s a good time to try them.
A YouGov survey for the seafood ecolabel found that nearly seven in 10 UK adults (69%) had bought fish to eat at home within the last month, but more than two thirds of those shoppers (69%) had stuck to three species or fewer, despite the wide range of fish and seafood available.
Salmon was most popular in the south and east of the UK, while cod was top choice in the north, west, Wales and Northern Ireland. Haddock was most likely to be put in Scottish shopping baskets.
Toby Middleton, programme director for MSC in the UK, said: "Lobster, crab and caviar have long been considered luxuries, but for the last couple of Christmases we’ve seen UK retailers selling them at lower prices. What’s different this year is that more of these products have been MSC certified, so now they’re sustainable and affordable.”
Many high street retailers now sell seasonal favourites that have been MSC certified. For the first time this Christmas, UK shoppers can buy MSC certified John West Lumpfish Caviar and John West Dressed Crab, which have recently been certified.
Year-round, UK shoppers can choose from 25 different fish and seafood species that have been MSC certified as sustainable, including white fish such as pollock and plaice and shellfish including scallops and mussels.
The MSC ecolabel rewards the fisheries that are committed to sustainable sourcing and incentivise others to improve their practices, helping to ensure that the oceans are safeguarded for the future.
