Good Fish Guide helps consumers choose responsibly farmed seafood

Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s (ASC) certified responsibly farmed seafood has been introduced in a recently launched Marine Conservation Society (MCS) fish guide.

This month the MCS published its new pocket size Good Fish Guide in the UK to help consumers choose fish from responsible sources.

“I would like to congratulate the MCS on their redesigned pocket Good Fish Guide. It is an innovative way to provide appealing information to seafood consumers. It is also a great opportunity for seafood shoppers in the UK to familiarise themselves with ASC responsibly farmed fish,” said Esther Luiten, ASC Commercial Manager.

“The ASC logo provides consumers with the assurance that ASC labelled products come from farms that use responsible farming methods that minimise their environmental and social impacts. Through their buying choices, seafood shoppers are rewarding certified farms for their responsible practices.”

“Consumers are interested in the provenance and impacts their food choices have and have an increasing greater awareness of the potential impacts of aquaculture. The new format MCS pocket Good Fish Guide enables shoppers to easily choose responsibly farmed seafood when shopping for fish, which in turn creates market demand,” said Dawn Purchase,  Senior Aquaculture Officer, Marine Conservation Society.

Helping consumers choose responsible farmed fish globally

Fish guides in many languages are now helping consumers choose responsibly and sustainably sourced seafood across the globe.

The Good Fish Guide was introduced by the MCS in 2002. The guide informs seafood shoppers which fish are the best sustainable and responsible choices, which fish to avoid completely, and the fish to eat just occasionally.

Another example of a consumer fish guide that helps shoppers identify responsibly farmed products is the Sustainable Seafood Guide launched by WWF, Seafood Choices Alliances and the North Sea Foundation. It is now available in 18 countries.

Logo for responsible aquaculture

ASC certified seafood is easily recognised by the on-pack logo. The logo was launched in 2012. To date there are now close to 1900 approved ASC labelled products in the market including salmon, shrimp, trout, pangasius and tilapia.

All ASC labelled seafood can be traced back through the supply chain to a responsibly managed fish farm.

ASC certified farms deliver a cleaner seabed, cleaner water and healthier fish; preserve the diversity of the species and wild population; adhere to strict feed requirements and ensure social responsibility.

The Marine Conservation Society’s Pocket Good Fish Guide can be downloaded here.