Our diets directly impact ocean health, and by reducing demand for overfished species, we can help marine ecosystems recover. Consider committing to one of these options, ranked from easiest to most impactful:

1. Look for certified sustainable seafood – Choose products with eco-labels like MSC or ASC, which follow stricter environmental and social standards.
2. Choose local low-impact seafood – Opt for seafood caught using low-impact methods like line, trap, or dive fishing by local small-scale fishermen. These techniques reduce bycatch and habitat damage, cut transport emissions, and support coastal livelihoods.
3. Avoid the most overfished species – Cut back on tuna, cod, salmon, and octopus. These species are severely overfished or farmed using methods that harm marine biodiversity, degrade habitats, and emit high levels of carbon. Check the Good Fish Guide, Seafood Watch Guides or the WWF Seafood Guide for more info.
4. Swap your go-to fish meal for shellfish – Replace your most regular fish dish with mussels, clams, or oysters. These shellfish are among the most sustainable protein sources: they don’t need feeding, filter the water as they grow, and create habitats that boost marine biodiversity.
5. Swap fish for seaweed – Swap one of your regular uses of fish with seaweed. For example, use seaweed in place of tuna in your poke bowl, swap fish sauce with seaweed-based seasoning, or add seaweed to broths instead of fish stock. Seaweed tastes deliciously umami, is full of nutritional benefits, absorbs carbon as it grows, and requires no feed, fertiliser, or freshwater. Check out Great British Chefs' seaweed recipes or buy The Seaweed Cookbook.
6. Go fully plant-based – Cutting out all fish and seafood is the most direct way to reduce your impact on overfishing, bycatch, and ocean habitat loss. Get started with a cookbook that makes the process easier: we recommend the The Flexible Pescaterian or Ocean Greens!