Switch to shellfish

Before reaching for that pack of salmon fillets, consider buying shellfish instead. Oysters, clams and mussels, farmed here in the UK, are particularly eco-friendly and a good source of omega 3. Try to avoid farmed prawns from Asia and Latin America however, which a 2017 study found were responsible for four times more greenhouse-gas emissions, kilo for kilo, than beef.

British crab is another excellent and delicious way to get your sustainable seafood fix. Make a tasty crab and avocado toast topper by mixing together one packet of 50/50 crab, ½ tsp curry powder, juice of a lime, 1 tbsp plain Greek yogurt, 1 diced tomato, ½ a diced small red onion and some chopped coriander leaves. Mix in a mashed avocado and add salt and pepper to taste. 

Let the experts help

When deciding what to put in our mouths it’s all too often a case of “buyer beware” but thankfully, as far as seafood is concerned, there are some labels to look for when shopping to help guide our choices.

For farmed seafood look for the green logo of the ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council), which only appears on food from farms that have been certified as being environmentally and socially responsible. For wild seafood, the blue mark of the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) shows that a fishery meets international best practice for sustainable fishing.

If you are lucky enough to have a local fishmonger even better. Ask for local, in-season seafood which not only has a lower carbon footprint but protects the future stocks of that species, whilst protecting jobs in the seafood industry.