The group, which sit on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, say that declining fish stocks are giving cause for concern and globally there might not be enough to meet demand. Their call is the latest in a series of recent warnings about fish stocks following the release of the controversial The End Of The Line film. Only last week Prince Charles voiced his concerns and major fish retailers like Waitrose and Marks & Spencer have decided not to sell species which they feel are threatened.

Government has been advising people to eat two portions of fish a week - one of which should be oily fish, rich in omega 3 fatty acids. Fish and shellfish are rich sources of proteins, minerals and are low in fat.

But the Commons committee says the government "should consider the wisdom of continuing to advise consumers to eat at least two portions of fish a week at a time when the ability of the marine environment to meet this demand is questionable". It recommended that the government and fishing firms should be promoting little known types of fish and shellfish to eat instead, but added that the UK also had a moral duty to do more to boost food production. In April the European Commission warned that 30 per cent of EU stocks were beyond safe limits.

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