Rating**
Alaska or walleye pollock
Theregra chalcogramma
ADVICE
Alaska pollock fisheries are well managed by a system of Total Allowable Catches and quotas. Although by-catch is problematic in pelagic mid-water trawl fisheries, measures are in place to reduce impacts of the fishery on protected species. In 2005, the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands pollock fishery became the 11th fishery in the world to be certified to the MSC Standard. The Gulf of Alaska pollock fishery was also certified by the MSC as a responsible fishery in 2005. Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is associated with Russian Far East pollock fisheries. Eat Alaskan pollock from MSC certified fisheries only.
The following is a list of fish available to the UK and European consumer which have been given a rating of 1 or 2 and which MCS believes are fished within sustainable levels using methods which do not cause unacceptable damage to the environment or non-target species. The list is in alphabetical order not in order of sustainability. (download the MCS Pocket Good Fish Guide (Adobe PDF))
1.  Alaska or walleye pollock (MSC certified)
2.  Bib or pouting
3.  Black bream or porgy or seabream (from Cornwall and NW and N Wales)
4.  Clam, American hardshell (from hand-gathered farmed sources only)
5.  Clam, carpet shell (hand-gathered only)
6.  Cockle (Hand gathered, MSC certified from Bury Inlet, SW Wales)
7.  Cod, Atlantic (MSC certified)
8.  Cod, Pacific (MSC certified)
9.  Coley or saithe (from NE Arctic and combined N Sea stock)
10.  Dab
11.  Dover sole (MSC certified from Eastern Channel)
12.  Dublin bay prawn (Loch Torridon only MSC)
13.  Flounder (from Cornwall and NW and N Wales)
14.  Gurnard (grey and red)
15.  Haddock (from the Northeast Arctic)
16.  Herring (MSC certified from the North Sea, Eastern English Channel and Norwegian stocks, and from fisheries in the Celtic Sea
17.  Lemon sole (otter trawl or seine net caught)
18.  Lobster, Mexican Baja California red rock (MSC certified)
19.  Lobster, Western Australian rock (MSC certified)
20.  Lythe or pollack (line caught and tagged from Cornwall))
21.  Mackerel (MSC certified from the Southwest or Eastern English Channel))
22.  Mahi Mahi (handline caught from targeted fisheries only)
23.  Mussel (sustainably harvested or farmed e.g. rope grown))
24.  Oyster (native & Pacific, sustainably farmed)
25.  Pilchard or sardine, European (traditionally harvested from Cornwall)
26.  Red mullet (not from Mediterranean)
27.  Salmon, Atlantic (Organically farmed)
28.  Salmon, Pacific (MSC certified from Alaska)
29.  Scallop (sustainably harvested e.g. dive-caught)
30.  Seabass (line-caught and tagged from Cornwall)
31.  Sole, Dover or common (from MSC certified fisheries in the Eastern English Channel)
32.  Spider crab (pot caught only)
33.  Squid jig caught (European)
34.  Tilapia (sustainably farmed)
35.  Trout (brown or sea and rainbow, Organically farmed)
36.  Tuna, albacore (pole and line, handline or troll-caught from MSC certified S Pacific or S Atlantic)
37.  Tuna, skipjack (pole and line or handline-caught from Pacific (western & central) or Maldives)
38.  Winkle (sustainably harvested e g. hand picked)
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