UK Marine Conservation Society updates Good Fish Guide: 29 fisheries downgraded, 11 upgraded; European hake and Icelandic haddock drop out of 'Best Choice'

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS), a UK-based environmental non-profit headquartered in Herefordshire, released the latest biannual update of its Good Fish Guide on October 20. The update reviewed more than 100 ratings in total, covering wild-capture fisheries and one UK shrimp aquaculture rating. The results show that 29 fisheries ratings were downgraded, 11 were upgraded, and 64 remained unchanged from the previous edition of the guide published in April this year. The guide uses a 1-to-5 rating scale, with 1 being the highest rating, representing one of the most sustainable seafood choices, and is designed to help UK consumers and businesses make sustainable seafood purchasing decisions.

This update revised the ratings for European hake, saithe, Icelandic haddock, Dover sole and king scallop, and introduced a rating for Atlantic bluefin tuna caught in UK waters for the first time.

European hake was one of the species most affected: three related ratings fell from 2 to 3, while another rose from 3 to 4. MCS said the change reflects a slight decline in biomass and rising fishing pressure, which is now at a level corresponding to maximum sustainable yield, while biomass is below the relevant reference point. Good Fish Guide ratings officer Brooke Schlipf confirmed that most European hake remains on the guide's recommended list, but the affected fisheries are no longer listed as "Best Choice".

Saithe also showed notable changes. In the Northeast Arctic, ratings for several fishing methods deteriorated due to rising fishing pressure, persistent concerns over management effectiveness, and catches exceeding scientific advice in recent years. Saithe caught by single trawl in the North Sea–West of Scotland Rockall and Skagerrak areas was rated 5, meaning it is placed in the guide's "Avoid" category. Schlipf said: "This is a default red rating because the spawning stock biomass has fallen below the biomass limit reference point and there is no recovery plan."

Icelandic haddock was downgraded from 2 to 3. Ratings officer Naomi Smith explained that its stock score remained unchanged, but a revised management assessment found concerns because catches have consistently exceeded scientific advice. She said: "These fisheries remain on our recommended list, they are just no longer considered 'Best Choice'."

Dover sole ratings also deteriorated in several areas. In the Celtic Sea and Bristol Channel, the beam trawl rating fell from 3 to 4 and the single trawl rating from 2 to 3, which MCS attributed to fishing pressure above sustainable levels and catches exceeding scientific advice over the past four years. In the Irish Sea, both the beam trawl and single trawl ratings fell from 3 to 4 due to declining stock status and fishing pressure above target levels. Ratings in the Western English Channel and the North Sea were also downgraded, partly due to a revised assessment methodology and concerns including bycatch of mixed species and bycatch of endangered, threatened and protected species.

King scallop caught by rake in Northern Ireland was downgraded from 4 to 5 and placed in the "Avoid" category. MCS likewise cited declining biomass, rising fishing pressure and limited effectiveness of management measures to rebuild the stock. In addition, king scallop caught using "disco" pots in Lyme Bay received a new rating: this fishing method uses LED lights rather than bait to attract scallops and has a lower physical impact on the seabed than traditional rakes, but the fishery is relatively new, management measures are limited, and stock assessments remain inconclusive. Smith said the guide applied a precautionary approach to this fishing method with regard to biomass and fishing pressure.

There was relatively positive news for North Sea autumn-spawning herring: the ratings for gillnet and Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)-certified pelagic trawl rose from 3 to 2, and the ratings for non-certified pelagic trawl and purse seine rose from 4 to 3. MCS attributed the improvement mainly to reduced fishing pressure and noted that a long-term management strategy is beginning to take effect.

The newly introduced Atlantic bluefin tuna rating reflects the management arrangements for the limited rod-and-line fishery opened in UK waters in 2023, with the assessment taking into account both the overall stock score and the specific quota and management measures governing the UK fishery, resulting in a final rating of 2, placing it in the guide's "Best Choice" category. Schlipf said: "This is very exciting for this new fishery. However, we still believe it is very important that management must remain strict, the stock must not be overfished, and caution must be maintained regarding the development of the fishery."

Similarly, UK sea bass caught by handline was also rated "Best Choice", rising from 2 to 1 under the revised scoring methodology. The rating for sea bass caught as bycatch in single trawl, bottom seine and gillnet remains at 2 or 3, with MCS expressing concerns about monitoring and whether catches are always genuinely accidental.

Most ratings in the October update use the third edition of the Good Fish Guide assessment methodology. The main change in the latest methodology is that stock status, management and fishing method are given equal weight, replacing the previous system in which stock status carried the highest weight. The management assessment has also been expanded to three elements: consistency of management with scientific advice, management of target stocks, and monitoring, control and surveillance; a new scoring element for wider ecosystem and food-web impacts was also added. As a result, some rating changes stem from the revised scoring system rather than demonstrable improvement or deterioration in the fisheries themselves. For example, Smith stressed that the UK octopus rating rising from 5 to 4 does not represent a change in stock status, management or fishing method. She said: "Octopus remains a highly data-limited fishery, with minimal management measures for stocks around the UK. We hope that with the recent surge in octopus numbers in the southwest and increased attention on the species, the available knowledge will improve, which will help inform future ratings and their basis."