Fish for the future

Just because cod is endangered it doesn't mean fish is off the menu. Try these tasty alternatives and remember there's still plenty of (certain kinds of) fish in the sea

Fish to avoid

Cod is on the endangered list According to the reports from the Marine Conservation Society, many fish are under threat and we should avoid them altogether. They include: Atlantic cod from the North Sea, the Irish Sea and caught off the west coast of Scotland, as well as Atlantic haddock, European hake, North Atlantic halibut, monkfish and swordfish.

But avoiding fish on the no-no list isn't easy. Since January 2002 EU legislation has demanded that all whole fish and fish fillets, whether on wet-fish counters or pre-packed, should be labelled with species and origin - for example, 'cod: north-east Atlantic'. However, not all retailers are complying.

One huge problem is that labelling regulations currently do not differentiate between cod caught in the areas we should avoid, and cod caught in areas where supplies are sustainable such as cod from Icelandic waters, they can all legitimately be described as having been caught in the 'north-east Atlantic'. The MCS is currently pressing the Food Standards Agency and supermarkets to help consumers by enforcing clearer labelling.