What the Latest Good Fish Guide Updates Mean For UK Menus

Designed to support consumers, hospitality and retail businesses in making sustainable choices around fish and seafood, the MCS Good Fish Guide is a free-to-use resource and is revised twice a year based on the latest scientific evidence, taking regional stock levels and fishing methods into account. Seafood species and stocks are rated on a scale of one (“Best Choice”) to five (“Avoid”), with a traffic-light colour coding system providing additional clarity.

The Guide was updated last week, with significant changes for UK species like cod, langoustines and mackerel; the next update will take place in October 2026. This article explains the latest guidance and shares what chefs and restaurants can do to ensure the seafood options they serve are from sustainable, well-managed stocks.

What do the latest Good Fish Guide updates Say about cod?

Cod has long been a consumer favourite in the UK, especially as a part of the ubiquitous fish and chips. In 2024, 18% of all the UK’s out-of-home seafood servings were cod. Unfortunately, this consistent popularity has had a serious effect on populations.

In 2025, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) recommended a zero-catch policy for cod in the North Sea and adjacent waters, advising that continued commercial fishing in 2025 would risk pushing cod stocks in these regions below the numbers needed for maintaining population levels. While this advice was not followed, the UK did announce a 44% cut in cod fishing for 2026, following negotiations with the EU and Norway.

It seems that this was not enough to protect healthy levels. Last week, in updates to its Good Fish Guide, the Marine Conservation Society downgraded UK-caught cod to a five — its worst possible rating.

In a statement on their website, the MCS said, “Several UK cod populations have been in decline since 2015, due to overfishing, climate-driven changes in sea temperatures, and ecosystem pressures that affect breeding and juvenile survival. The latest update to the Good Fish Guide sees stocks from north of the UK move further down the sustainability scale — leaving no recommended choices for UK-caught cod.”

What about the MCS ratings for langoustines and mackerel?

Langoustines — also known as scampi — have also seen changes to their ratings. Some of their sources have been downgraded because fishing levels “have been above scientifically recommended amounts in recent years, and populations are declining. The sustainability of langoustine has always varied depending on how and where it is caught – with better choices being caught by pot or creel, rather than trawled.” The only Best Choice options currently listed for langoustines are wild-caught in North Minch, South Minch or Skagerrak and Kattegat, and only by pot, trap or creel.

Last April, Atlantic mackerel was moved off the MCS list of recommended sustainable options. In February this year, in response to plummeting populations, Waitrose announced that it will stop selling mackerel by 29th April, saying that it would only start selling it again once it met their “high sourcing standards”. Now, the latest Good Fish Guide update sees its rating dropping even further, with all Atlantic mackerel products sold in the UK now marked as Fish to Avoid.

Why does this matter for restaurants?

This is, arguably, particularly important for restaurants and other foodservice businesses. While we can all contribute to a better future through our individual food choices, the hospitality industry has the chance to play a bigger, more powerful role. As a respected link between producers and consumers, restaurants can help to drive demand for sustainable practices through their procurement policies. At the same time, by refusing to buy species that are overfished and endangered, restaurants can effectively shut down a considerable proportion of demand, making a genuine difference in whether these species survive in the long term.

The hospitality industry’s sphere of influence also extends far beyond the supply chain. By introducing consumers to new foods and flavours, chefs have the ability to lead customers towards climate-friendly dining, even shaping the food choices they make when they’re cooking at home.

What can chefs do?

So what actions can you actually take in your kitchens, in your dining rooms and throughout your supply chain?

1. TAKE THESE SPECIES OFF THE MENU

It’s incredibly important that restaurants only serve seafood from sustainably managed fisheries and farms. Best practice is to choose only options that are rated 1-3 in the Good Fish Guide. At the very minimum, it is crucial that you remove all red-rated seafood from your menu — so these latest updates mean it’s time to stop serving UK-caught cod, langoustines (other than the few exceptions listed above) and Atlantic mackerel.

2. DO THE HARD WORK FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS

Diners don’t want to have to worry about sustainability when they’re eating out — nor should they have to. It’s the responsibility of each operator to interrogate their own supply chain and to ensure that their menus aren’t targeting already damaged stocks. If a customer opens your menu to find only delicious, responsibly sourced dishes, that’s procurement done right.

3. RELY ON THE EXPERTS

The most reliable and straightforward way to ensure sustainability is to check with the experts. Here are some of the best resources you can use for checking the sustainability of the seafood you buy, depending on where you are in the world: 

• The most recognisable certification for wild-caught fish is probably the Marine Stewardship Council’s blue tick/chain of custody certification.   
• The UK-based MCS ‘Good Fish Guide’ also covers international waters. In addition to an extensive database of fish varieties, it’ll give you an instant overview of how your sources stack up and suggest more sustainable alternatives. There’s also an app available.  
• In the US, Monterey Seafood Watch is a fantastic resource.  
• WWF has a range of country-specific guides, covering Portugal, Italy, South Africa, Indonesia and more, although these aren’t available for every country.   
• Expanding throughout Latin America, Pesca Con Futuro has created a detailed map of sustainable local species.   
• In South Africa, look for the Southern Africa Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI).  
• In Australia, check goodfish.org.au. 

4. PUT MORE DIVERSITY ON THE PLATE

One of the most important actions you can take is to champion the use of lesser-known species from healthy stocks. Prioritise locally sourced, resilient fish species over imported or endangered varieties, and support local fishing communities who use responsible fishing practices. Look for sustainable, lesser-caught alternatives and allow this to encourage more creativity in your kitchen. 

For those determined to stick with cod, stocks of Icelandic cod are abundant and not currently subject to overfishing. However, the Good Fish Guide also recommends looking to alternative white fish, such as European hake or wild-caught coley from Iceland or the Northeast Arctic. “Some UK haddock remains a good option, depending on where they are caught — look out for haddock caught in the North Sea or West of Scotland for a good choice,” it adds.

As an alternative to langoustines, the Guide has added a new rating for UK farmed king prawns. The website says that a new commercially available option in Scotland operates in a completely closed system, giving these prawns “a much lower environmental impact”. You could also look at switching to responsibly farmed bivalves, which can actually benefit the waters around them; why not serve tempura mussels, or a Thai curry with clams? (Find more inspiration for cooking with bivalves here.)

For Atlantic mackerel, chefs can explore other oily fish options. These can include Southern horse mackerel caught near Portugal as well as sardines, anchovies or farmed freshwater trout; however, the sustainability of sources can vary, so check the Good Fish Guide for the rating of each individual option.

5. EDUCATE YOUR TEAM AND YOUR DINERS

While customers may be hesitant about ordering something unfamiliar, hospitality can play a critical role in education, showing them the incredible variety of seafood that’s out there. As mentioned above, the impact of this goes far beyond one meal; in the longer term, it can help to build demand for a more diverse array of species, ultimately affecting how we cook and eat at home.

Make sure sourcing policies are clearly explained on your website and social media, and include the provenance of your fish dishes on your menu itself. It’s also important for your employees to understand what sustainability means when it comes to seafood, and why your business makes this a priority. This helps the kitchen team to take pride in where their ingredients come from and gives front-of-house staff the language they need to answer any questions that your customers may have.

Don’t miss our new global sustainability insights report, "Hospitality Rising: Global Challenges, Local Solutions”. Exploring the latest trends and influences shaping the sector, it’s packed with examples of smart sustainability initiatives from businesses of all shapes and sizes across the world. Download your copy here and start getting inspired! 

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