UK-based Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide uses scientific information from reputable and peer-reviewed sources to generate ratings for over 140 different species. Wild capture ratings are reviewed annually and farmed ratings are reviewed every three years, and updated ratings are released on a biannual basis. Rating updates from 2023 can be found here.
Winter
Species Name | Origin | Method | Old GFG Rating | New GFG Rating |
Albacore Tuna | Atlantic Ocean - North | Longline | ||
Pole & Line | ||||
Troll | ||||
Pelagic Trawl | ||||
Atlantic Ocean - North (MSC) | Pole & Line | |||
Troll | ||||
Pacific Ocean - North | Longline | |||
Pole & Line | ||||
Troll | ||||
Pacific Ocean - North (MSC) | Pole & Line | |||
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna | United Kingdom - Cornwall | Otter Trawl | ||
Gillnet | ||||
Purse Seine | ||||
Handline | ||||
Atlantic Cod | Greenland - West (North) | Fish Trap | UNDER REVIEW | |
Greenland - West (South) | Fish Trap | |||
North Sea, Eastern Channel, Skagerrak (FIP) | Otter Trawl | |||
North Sea, Eastern Channel, Skagerrak | Gillnet | |||
West of Scotland | Otter Trawl | |||
Atlantic Ocean - Northern Shelf (Northwestern substock) | Otter Trawl | |||
Atlantic Ocean - Northern Shelf (Southern substock) | Otter Trawl | |||
Atlantic Ocean - Northern Shelf (Viking substock) | Otter Trawl | |||
Ballan Wrasse | United Kingdom - Cornwall | Gillnet | ||
Blonde Ray | North Sea (Central and South), Eastern Channel | Beam Trawl | ||
North Sea (North) and West of Scotland | Beam Trawl | |||
Otter Trawl | ||||
Blue Shark | Atlantic Ocean - North | Longine | ||
United Kingdom - Cornwall | Longline | UNDER REVIEW | ||
Pole & Line | UNDER REVIEW | |||
Blue Skate | North Sea and Skagerrak, Celtic Sea and West of Scotland | Gillnet | ||
Beam Trawl | ||||
Otter Trawl | ||||
Brown Crab | Isle of Man | Pot/Trap/Creel | ||
Northern Ireland | Pot/Trap/Creel | |||
Common Periwinkle | United Kingdom - England (Northumberland IFCA District | Hand-gathering (Shore) | ||
Atlantic Ocean - Northeast | Mechanical Harvesting | UNDER REVEW | ||
United Kingdom - Scotland, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, North and West Wales, Isles of Scilly, Southeast and Eastern England (excluding Northumberland) | Hand-gathering (Shore) | UNDER REVIEW | ||
United Kingdom - Jersey, South Wales, Cornwall, Devon & Severn, Southern and North Western IFCA Districts (excluding Northumberland) | Hand-gathering (Shore) | |||
Crawfish | United Kingdom - Cornwall | Diving | ||
Gillnet | ||||
Pot/Trap/Creel | ||||
Cuckoo Ray | North Sea & Skagerrak and Kattegat | Otter Trawl | UNDER REVIEW | |
Dab | United Kingdom - Cornwall | Beam Trawl | ||
Otter Trawl | ||||
European Lobster | Isle of Man | Pot/Trap/Creel | ||
Northern Ireland | Pot/Trap/Creel | |||
Flapper Skate | North Sea and Skagerrak, Celtic Sea and West of Scotland | Gillnet | ||
Beam Trawl | ||||
Otter Trawl | ||||
Gilthead Bream | United Kingdom - Cornwall | Handline | ||
Gillnet | ||||
Grey Mullet | North Sea, English Channel | Gillnet | ||
Grouper | Worldwide | Handline | ||
Gillnet | ||||
Pot/Trap/Creel | ||||
Harpoon | ||||
Haddock | Celtic Seas (Southern), English Channel (West) | Beam Trawl | ||
Otter Trawl | ||||
United Kingdom - Rockall (MSC) | Otter Trawl | |||
United Kingdom - Cornwall | Beam Trawl | |||
Otter Trawl | ||||
Gillnet | ||||
Horse Mackerel | Norwegian Sea, North Sea (North), Celtic Seas, Cantabrian Sea, English Channel (South), Bay of Biscay | Pelagic Trawl | ||
Purse Seine | ||||
Skagerrak and Kattegat, North Sea (Central and South), English Channel (East) | Pelagic Trawl | |||
King Scallop | Irish Sea (FIP) | Dredge | ||
Northern Ireland (FIP) | Dredge | |||
Scotland (East Coast 0-3nm) (FIP) | Dredge | |||
Scotland (East Coast 3-12nm) (FIP) | Dredge | |||
Scotland (Northeast & Orkney) | Diving | |||
Scotland (Northeast & Orkney 0-3nm) (FIP) | Dredge | |||
Scotland (Northeast & Orkney 3-12nm) (FIP) | Dredge | |||
Scotland (Shetland 0-6nm) (MSC) | Dredge | |||
Scotland (Shetland 6-12nm) | Dredge | |||
Scotland (West Coast) | Diving | |||
Scotland (West Coast 0-3nm) (FIP) | Dredge | |||
Scotland (West Coast 3-12nm) (FIP) | Dredge | |||
United Kingdom - Wales (FIP) | Dredge | |||
United Kingdom - England (Bristol Channel - Inshore) | Dredge | |||
United Kingdom (Cornwall IFCA District) (FIP) | Dredge | |||
United Kingdom (Cornwall IFCA District) | Diving | |||
United Kingdom - Cornwall (FIP) | Dredge | |||
United Kingdom - Cornwall | Dredge | |||
Lesser Spotted Dogfish | North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat, Eastern Channel | Beam Trawl | ||
Otter Trawl | ||||
West of Scotland, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea (South) | Beam Trawl | |||
Otter Trawl | ||||
United Kingdom - Cornwall | Beam Trawl | |||
Otter Trawl | ||||
Gillnet | ||||
Longnosed Skate | Atlantic Ocean - Northeast | Beam Trawl | ||
Otter Trawl | ||||
Gillnet | ||||
Megrim | United Kingdom - Rockall | Otter Trawl | ||
Nursehound | English Channel and Celtic Seas | Beam Trawl | ||
Otter Trawl | ||||
Gillnet | ||||
United Kingdom - Cornwall | Otter Trawl | |||
Gillnet | ||||
Pot/Trap/Creel | ||||
Pouting | Celtic Seas and English Channel | Beam Trawl | ||
United Kingdom - Cornwall | Beam Trawl | |||
Otter Trawl | ||||
Gillnet | ||||
Razor Clam | United Kingdom - Scotland | Electrical Fishing | UNDER REVIEW | |
Red Gurnard | Atlantic Ocean - Northeast | Otter Trawl | ||
United Kingdom - Cornwall | Beam Trawl | |||
Otter Trawl | ||||
Gillnet | ||||
Red Mullet | West of Scotland, Bay of Biscay, Celtic Sea (South), Atlantic Iberian Waters | Otter Trawl | ||
United Kingdom - Cornwall | Beam Trawl | |||
Otter Trawl | ||||
Gillnet | ||||
Sardine | Bay of Biscay | Pelagic Trawl | ||
Purse Seine | ||||
Cantabrian Sea and Atlantic Iberian Waters | Purse Seine | |||
Celtic Sea (South) and English Channel | Pelagic Trawl | |||
Purse Seine | ||||
United Kingdom - Cornwall (MSC) | Purse Seine | |||
Scampi/Langoustine | Aran, Galway Bay and Slyne Head (FIP) | Otter Trawl | ||
Botney Cut to Silver Pit (FIP) | Otter Trawl | |||
Celtic Sea (The Smalls) (FIP) | Otter Trawl | |||
Devil's Hole (FIP) | Otter Trawl | |||
Farn Deeps (FIP) | Otter Trawl | |||
Firth of Clyde and Sound of Jura (FIP) | Otter Trawl | |||
Pot/Trap/Creel | ||||
Firth of Forth (FIP) | Otter Trawl | |||
Fladen Ground (FIP) | Otter Trawl | |||
Horn's Reef | Otter Trawl | |||
Ireland (Southwest) and Southeast Coast (FIP) | Otter Trawl | |||
Irish Sea - East (FIP) | Otter Trawl | |||
Irish Sea - West (FIP) | Otter Trawl | |||
Labadie, Jones and Cockburn (FIP) | Otter Trawl | |||
Moray Firth (FIP) | Otter Trawl | |||
North Minch (FIP) | Otter Trawl | |||
Pot/Trap/Creel | ||||
Norwegian Deep | Otter Trawl | |||
Noup (FIP) | Otter Trawl | |||
Porcupine Bank (FIP) | Otter Trawl | |||
Skagerrak and Kattegat | Otter Trawl | |||
Pot/Trap/Creel | ||||
South Minch (FIP) | Otter Trawl | |||
Pot/Trap/Creel | ||||
Skipjack Tuna | Indian Ocean | Pole & Line | ||
Gillnet | ||||
Purse Seine (Floating Object) | ||||
Purse Seine (Unassociated) | ||||
Indian Ocean (MSC) | Pole & Line | |||
Purse Seine (Floating Object) | ||||
Purse Seine (Unassociated) | ||||
Southern Bluefin Tuna | Southern Ocean | Purse Seine (Floating Object) | ||
Purse Seine (Unassociated) | ||||
Longline | ||||
Pole & Line | ||||
Spotted Ray | North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat, and Eastern Channel | Beam Trawl | ||
Otter Trawl | ||||
West of Scotland and Southwest Ireland | Otter Trawl | UNDER REVIEW | ||
Spurdog | USA - Atlantic | Otter Trawl | ||
Longline | ||||
Gillnet | ||||
USA - Atlantic (MSC) | Otter Trawl | |||
Longline | ||||
Gillnet | ||||
Starry Ray | Norwegian Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat, and North Sea | Beam Trawl | ||
Otter Trawl | ||||
Starry Smoothhound | United Kingdom | Otter Trawl | ||
Gillnet | ||||
United Kingdom - Cornwall | Otter Trawl | |||
Swordfish | Indian Ocean | Longline | ||
Pacific Ocean - North | Longline | |||
Pacific Ocean - Northeast | Longline | |||
Thornback Ray | North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat, and Eastern Channel | Beam Trawl | ||
Otter Trawl | ||||
Gillnet | ||||
West of Scotland | Otter Trawl | |||
Undulate Ray | English Channel | Beam Trawl | UNDER REVIEW | |
Otter Trawl | UNDER REVIEW | |||
Gillnet | ||||
United Kingdom - Cornwall | Beam Trawl | |||
Otter Trawl | ||||
Gillnet | ||||
White Skate | Atlantic Ocean - Northeast | Beam Trawl | ||
Otter Trawl | ||||
Gillnet | ||||
Whiting | Celtic Sea (South) and English Channel (West) | Otter Trawl | ||
Demersal Seine | ||||
United Kingdom - Cornwall | Beam Trawl | |||
Otter Trawl | ||||
Wolffish | Iceland (MSC) | Otter Trawl | ||
Longline | ||||
Demersal Seine | ||||
Wreckfish | United Kingdom - Cornwall | Handline | ||
Yellowfin Tuna | Pacific Ocean - West Central | Longline | ||
Pole & Line | ||||
Gillnet | ||||
Purse Seine (Floating Object) | ||||
Purse Seine (Unassociated) | ||||
Pacific Ocean - West Central (MSC) | Longline | |||
Pole & Line |
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Handline |
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Purse Seine (Floating Object) |
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Purse Seine (Unassociated) |