Seafood sustainability: Top tips for buying seafood

The biggest step when it comes to addressing sustainability issues can be the first. Follow some simple advice from Good Catch​, which works with the foodservice industry to support the use of a more diverse and sustainable seafood range.

• Get Quizzical​: Ask your fish supplier the what, when, where and how of catching and farming your seafood. Anything they can't answer they should be able to find out - once they know it's important to you it will be important to them.
• Mix Up The Menu​: Think about serving different seafood species, and give commonly exploited species a rest. Cooking new seafood creatively can inspire further demand for alternative species from your customers.
• Go Low​: Buying fish that eat low on the food chain can be more sustainable than larger, predatory fish which need more food and time to grow and are susceptible to over-fishing.
• Seasonal Specials​: Order with the seasons and highlight this on your menu. Avoiding buying fish during their spawning season allows species to breed and replenish their populations.
• Tick-ety Boo​: Check out 'the fish with the tick' at www.msc.org​ and start serving seafood that is certified as sustainable.
• Flex It​: Be as flexible as possible - specials can draw attention to a sustainable menu options, while simply describing dishes as 'fish' or 'seafood' - eg battered fish and chips - means you don't pin yourself down to a particular species.
• Poli-Sea​: Having a seafood purchasing policy can help guide the decisions you and your team make as to which seafood you buy. A policy can also act as a public statement of your commitment to sustainable sourcing. See www.fishonline.org​ for MCS guidance on implementing a sustainable fish buying policy.
• Team Talk​: Communicate the provenance of your produce with your whole team; get everyone interested and invigorated and sharing this with the customer. Engaging on seafood sustainability is something to celebrate.
• Spread the Word​: Spreading the sustainability message with customers can build support for your business and for sustainable seafood in general. Front of house staff are key communicators; websites, menus, flyers and special events may also be useful.
• Delve Deeper​: Stay up to date on conservation issues, practical ideas and events and seafood sustainability progress in the UK foodservice sector by emailing info@goodcatch.org.uk​ to sign up to the monthly Fish Flash e-bulletin.

Thanks to Good Catch​ for advice