The latest Good Fish Guide, published by the Marine Conservation Society, contains the latest scientific information on the state of fish stocks.
It also details how fish are caught, along with the environmental impacts of what remains of our fishing fleet.
The MCS is working with store chains Tesco, Waitrose and Marks & Spencer, in a bid to boost the campaign for sustainable fisheries.
With cod stocks at their lowest-ever ebb, the MCS says only immediate action can save the fish from extinction.
“Scientific advice has consistently been ignored in favour of weaker measures to protect stocks,” said its fisheries officer Bernadette Clarke.
“Politicians and the industry itself have blown it. Only consumers can save the cod now.”
Angling has not yet been singled out by the MCS, which has charted the decline in cod and stocks of other bottom-dwelling species once common around our shores.
“Individuals can further reduce their impact on the marine environment by choosing only line-caught fish,” Ms Clarke went on. “Line fishing is more selective, causes less damage to the seabed and fish stocks and provides more jobs as it is a more labour intensive method of fishing.
“We also need to diversify our taste in fish and so relieve demand for more traditional species such as cod, haddock and plaice, and support localfisheries.”
Store chains are now reviewing their policies and sourcing fish from sustainable suppliers. Marks & Spencer has already removed swordfish, Atlantic halibut, monkfish, thornback ray and bigeye tuna from its shelves.
And Waitrose has also recently stopped selling Chilean seabass and thornback ray, while Tesco has removed ling and all ling products from its shelves.
Copies of the Good Fish Guide are available from MCS or may be orderedonline at www.mcsuk.org for £ 10.
