For The Love Of Cod

WE'VE mainly concentrated on dry land so far in our Food Matters series, so this week we're taking a deep dive into the slippery subject of seafood. On the one hand, we're told to eat more fish for our health, but we're also told that overfishing is a global problem. So how can we make sure we're not contributing to the collapse of ocean populations while still having a little fishy on our dishy?

- Ian Eddy

OH, MEGA!

Fish is a great source of protein and minerals such as calcium, zinc, iron, selenium, and iodine, as well as vitamins A, D and B. Fish is also the best source of omega-3 fatty acids, especially oily fish such as salmon, sardines, and trout. Omega-3s are good for the heart, help a baby’s brain and eyes to develop during its first 1,000 days, and may even help with depression. The NHS says that “most of us should have more fish in our diet” and recommends at least two portions of fish a week, including one of oily fish.

IT’S A FISH-EAT-FISH WORLD

We’ve reported several times on how the world is overfishing certain species. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says that 33.1% of the world’s fish stocks are being caught at levels “beyond biological sustainability”, which means that we will eventually wipe those species out if we don’t do something. But in 2016, fish production was the highest it’s ever been, with 171m tonnes of fish caught.