The report, 'Fish Dish - exposing the unacceptable face of seafood', urges consumers to choose Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fish and calls on governments to toughen up fisheries management and support MSC certification for their industries.

Some of Europe’s most popular fish dishes are a recipe for disaster for our oceans and fishing communities, according to the report.

"In the case of plaice and sole, Europe’s most wasteful fishery, up to 80 per cent of some plaice catches in the North Sea are thrown overboard dead or dying. This is because they are either too small or less valuable than the rest of the catch," WWF states.

It says swordfish steak, popular for barbequing and baking, comes with a heavy toll of other marine life. It claims the illegal Moroccan driftnet fishery, targeting swordfish for the European market, catches one swordfish for every two sharks, killing an estimated 100,000 sharks per year.

Paul King, WWF Campaigns Director, said: “Not everything caught in a net makes it to the dinner table. The trail of destruction behind industrialised fishing must be stopped or our children will be left with a barren ocean.”

The report says the UK’s much loved cod ‘n’ chips is the dish with the most over-fished ingredient. WWF claims that if stocks continue to decline at the current rate, there will be no more Atlantic cod on the menu in less than 15 years.

Furthermore, the report claims nearly one-third of all catches of Atlantic bluefin tuna, the world’s most valuable fish, come from illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, most of which is carried out by EU fleets.

"In the case of scampi, also known as langoustine and Norwegian lobster, bottom trawling for this delicacy is devastating the sea floor and its inhabitants, such as starfish, shellfish and crustaceans," WWF continues.

The report is expected to raise more than a few eyebrows within the Humber fishing industry. There is a growing feeling among many people on the Humber that environmental pressure groups are starting to exaggerate the problem over fish stocks, but many will not speak out because it may be construed as being politically incorrect.

Fish has come under the spotlight from environmental groups in recent months with Greenpeace suggesting that a third of all cod caught in the Baltic and Barents Sea is illegal. Supermarkets have also reacted by pointing out in a series of initiatives that their seafood comes only from sustainable sources.

Steve Norton, chief executive of the Grimsby Fish Merchants Association, said the advice to eat less fish went against all sound advice and both processors and retailers were being very responsible by only selling fish from sustainable and renewable sources. He agreed there had been a problem with North Sea plaice stocks for many years, but said it should be remembered that there was still a 20,000 tonne annual quota for North Sea Cod and to suggest that people should not buy cod could be seen as a kick in the teeth for North Sea fishermen.

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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