The latest official advice from the U.K. government on what constitutes a healthy diet recommends for the first time that the fish consumed by the population should only come from sustainable sources.
According to the “Eatwell Guide,” produced by Public Health England (PHE) and published by the government, consumers should eat two portions (2 x 140g) of sustainably sourced fish per week, of which one should be an oily fish. Replacing the previous “Eatwell Plate,” the new guide directs consumers looking to source sustainable fish to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) website.
The updated advice has been welcomed by the Sustainable Fish Cities campaign, which is convened by Sustain: The alliance for better food and farming, and is aimed at end overfishing by transforming the way fish is served in restaurants and public-sector institutions, and how it is promoted through government policy.
"This is a significant step forward for public health policy," said Ruth Westcott, coordinator of Sustainable Fish Cities. "Fish makes an important contribution to heart health and brain development, so it is vital that we take good care of fish stocks and the ecosystems that support them. Only by doing so will healthy diets containing delicious fish be able to be enjoyed by our children and grandchildren for years to come. So it is welcome news that the government's new healthy eating guidelines have – for the very first time – acknowledged that the fish we eat must come from a sustainable source. This means avoiding endangered species, and picking fish identified by marine scientists as 'fish to eat' or marked with the Marine Stewardship Council or Aquaculture Stewardship Council certification marks."
Westcott said the recommendations are helpful because they will be used by individual shoppers as well as larger food buyers, potentially creating large changes in health and environmental decisions made by British consumers.
"Previous governments and their agencies have ignored or fudged the issue, treating healthy eating as separate from environmental concerns," Westcott said. "Such advice is followed by shoppers, but also – importantly – by professionals such as nutritionists and caterers working in schools, hospitals and care homes, as well as by many procurement officers and nutritionists working for food companies and buying fish in enormous volumes. So the advice offered by government is crucial to the well-being of people, but also of the fish stocks and ecosystems that feed us."
