What it is
The Good Fish Guide by the UK's Marine Conservation Society rates seafood sustainability for British and European consumers. Using a 1-5 rating system (1-2 best, 3 acceptable, 4-5 avoid), the guide covers wild-caught and farmed species available in UK and EU markets. Ratings account for catch method, stock health, management regime, and geographic origin. The app and website let users search by species and get specific recommendations by fishing ground.
Why we picked this
Seafood Watch is US-focused; the Good Fish Guide fills the same role for European consumers. The guide is particularly valuable because it accounts for EU-specific fishing regulations, quotas, and management regimes that differ significantly from North American fisheries. The catch-method specificity is excellent: the same species can rate 2 when pole-caught and 5 when bottom-trawled, educating consumers about why method matters as much as species.
Key takeaways
- The guide rates species differently based on catch method and geographic origin, teaching consumers that sustainability depends on how and where fish is caught.
- UK consumers eat approximately 150 million seafood meals per week, making informed purchasing decisions at this scale a significant driver of fishing practice change.
- The Marine Conservation Society updates ratings annually based on the latest stock assessments and fisheries science.