News
Marine charity gives sustainable seafood shoppers a fishmonger in their pocket
Restaurants to recipes, sustainability to seasonality in a simple to use App
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS), the UK charity which works to ensure consumers, restaurants and food industry buyers only choose fish from sustainable sources has released its most informative seafood App yet and says it hopes the simple advice will clarify what, for many, is a highly complex issue.
The Good Fish Guide App (free on both iPhone and android) is a great catch for anyone who wants to make sure the fish they are buying comes from sustainable fisheries – where stocks are either holding their own or increasing.
“Making sure the fish you are buying is as sustainable as possible, in season and big enough to have reproduced makes the whole issue a bit of a minefield. Many fishmongers and fish counter staff have some of the information customers require, but not all. The Good Fish Guide mobile app has all the answers right at your finger tips. Whilst looking at fish on the counter you can, with a few taps and swipes, be sure your fish supper is as sustainable as possible,” says Bernadette Clarke, MCS Good Fish Guide Programme Manager.
The App lists fish alongside their MCS Fish to Eat or Fish to Avoid rating – red, green or amber (eat only occasionally).
The main role of the MCS Fish to Eat and Avoid lists, which can also be found at www.goodfishguide.org, is to identify for consumers fish from currently healthy fisheries or farms, the fish to eat, and the fisheries consumers should be avoiding, the one’s that are overfished and poorly managed. By changing its ratings in line with the latest International Council for the Exploration of the Sea stock and other advice, MCS tries to ensure through public awareness that consumers make the right choices and popular species don’t drop to worryingly low levels.
But there’s far more to choosing sustainable fish and now the App boasts regular contributions of new seafood recipes from top chefs and celebrities. The recipe is displayed so the fish chosen are always in season and rated 1-3. There’s also a size guide to help people spot immature fish that are being sold before they’ve had a chance to breed. And information on labelling will help you indentify the best eco-labels for fish and the information retailers and fishmongers need to be supplying to allow consumers to make informed choices.
Diners can find restaurants that claim to have great sustainable credentials on an easy to use map where MCS reveals what they think about the eatery’s sustainability along with the venue’s Fish 2 Fork sustainable seafood restaurant rating.
MCS sustainable seafood work is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery. Clara Govier, Head of Charities at People’s Postcode Lottery says “It is great to see a whole range of new resources giving people the power to make their own choices on which seafood to eat. The new App is really exciting, giving instant advice on what to eat and how to cook it, whether you’re shopping for the family in the supermarket or looking for a place to eat out. I’m delighted that players of People’s Postcode Lottery are able to support this initiative.”
For more information, see www.goodfishguide.org.
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Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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