The exposure was made by The Sunday Times, the country's top selling Sunday newspaper following an investigation by the makers of the award winning documentary film on the parlous state of fish stocks, The End of the Line.

The film makers sought to identify outlets serving threatened species, such as bluefin tuna or fish caught in indiscriminate nets that can trap dolphins in the English Channel. Seven out of the 25 Michelin-starred restaurants examined were found to be offering fish on an official 'red list' of endangered species. All but three were offering at least one course of what marine conservationists have designated as fish to avoid.

However, on the plus side some seafood restaurants like the Scottish based Loch Fyne chain are highly praised for selling very sustainable fish like Icelandic cod and North Sea (Scottish) haddock.

Charles Clover, the author of The End of the Line and who now writes for the paper on environmental issues, said: 'Ordering fish in a restaurant is now one of the world’s great moral dilemmas.' Some 90 per cent of the ocean's stocks of large fish have been wiped out over the past 60 years. He has also produced a website (fish2fork.com) naming fish sourcing 'saints and sinners'.

In a special leading article The Sunday Times has urged its readers to stay away from offending restaurants until they change their ways.

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