Lost at sea

It's widely known that fish, particularly oily fish, is good for you. Packed full of essential fatty acids, research shows it can help prevent heart disease. Sadly, however, fish has suffered from bad press in the last few years. Scares about toxicity levels, fish farming practices and news of depleted fish stocks have dented its image.

Good Housekeeping receives lots of queries about the safety of eating certain species and how to buy fish responsibly. Although consumers are aware of the problems of overfishing, they are not informed enough to know which fish they should be buying and which to avoid. It is not surprising, therefore, that sales of fish in the UK are going down. The government's expenditure and food survey found that consumption of fish was down by 6% between 2001 and 2004.

But it's not all bad news. There's still plenty the food industry can do to regain consumer interest:

• Education is key. Not only advocating the benefits of eating fish, but also reassurance about any negative publicity -- lack of knowledge and fear stop consumers buying as much fish as they could be. Consumers often ask questions about food they are buying, so it's important they know where fish is from and how it was caught.
• The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation reports that nearly 70% of the world's fish stocks are already fished to capacity, overfished or depleted. The European Commission's proposal to close 30% of the UK's fishing waters makes it clear that fish -- especially cod, haddock and plaice -- are endangered. Consumers need more information about which species and areas have been overfished, backed up by ethical buying policies, including more fish from sustainable fisheries and organic fish farms which meet welfare standards.
• A clear and well-publicised labelling system is needed, such as the Marine Stewardship Council's blue fish logo to help consumers recognise and buy sustainable species.
• A quick comparative look at any of the few remaining independent fishmongers shows how small the variety of fish available in supermarkets really is. Why not reintroduce more unusual fish, many from sustainable sources in the UK, such as pollock, Dover sole and coley?

Joanne Finney is a food writer at Good Housekeeping Magazine, http://www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk​​