Are you supermarket savvy, or do you fall for the labels hook, line and sinker? Lauren Bravo finds out what those fish terms really mean.
'Line-caught'
Line-caught means to catch fish by towing a lure or baited hook behind a slow-moving boat. It's recognised as a sustainable method because it avoids the by-catch associated with large-scale trawling nets, and makes it harder to overfish. Streamers and buoys are often used to deter birds, who can be attracted to the bait.
'Longline'
Used to catch fish in both surface waters and on the sea bottom, longline fishing uses a length of line with baited hooks branching off it - in some cases many thousands. Longlines are not associated with damage to the marine habitat, but do often result in unintentional by-catch, such as sea birds and turtles.
'Pole-caught'/'pole and line'
As close as you'll find to your garden gnome's preferred method, pole and line fishing targets schools of fish using hand held or mechanically operated poles with baited hooks attached. It tends to be a small-scale method, and isn't particularly associated with damage to marine habitat or unintentional by-catch.
'Trawled'
There are two main types of trawling - demersal, which targets bottom-dwelling fish by dragging large nets along the seafloor, and pelagic, which catch mid-water fish using a funnel-shaped net pulled by one or two boats. Demersal trawling is particularly associated with damage to marine habitat, as heavy nets can disturb the sea bed, while both types of trawling typically have higher levels of by-catch and discard than other fishing methods.
'Dredged'
Dredging is a shellfish-catching method in which large, metal-framed baskets are raked along the seabed to drag creatures out from the sand. The shellfish are then moved into a heavy net pouch attached to the basket. The method is often associated with the by-catch of other creatures and a high rate of discarded catch, though some UK fisheries are beginning to use toothless dredging, which reduces the impact that the process has on the seabed habitat.
'Hand-dived'
Does exactly what it says on the tin (or the fishmonger's blackboard, as the case is more likely to be). Hand-diving is the good old-fashioned method of catching scallops, clams, oysters and other shellfish, by diving into the sea or digging in the sand and removing the creatures manually. It has a minimal impact on marine habitat.
'Pot/creel-caught'
Traditionally used to catch lobster, crabs, octopus and other seafood, pots and creels are baited traps that target selective species, allowing smaller creatures to escape. The catch is brought to the surface alive, allowing unwanted fish and shellfish to be thrown back, unharmed.
'Farmed'
Offering an alternative solution to commercial overfishing in the wild, fish farms breed and raise fish in lakes, tanks or enclosures. Some rely on natural photosynthesis to feed the fish, while others use an external food supply, which often includes wild-caught fish. Though used to take the pressure of the wild population, fish farming is associated with a high rate of disease and parasites, which can spread to the wild, and also with the damage and destruction of habitats.
'Wild'
Unlike hell's angels of the same description, you won't find wild fish out on the highway (looking for adventure) but in wild fisheries, which tend to be situated in oceans around coasts and continental shelves, and also in rivers and lakes. They're different from farms because the aquatic life within them is not controlled in any way. The majority of the fish eaten by humans still comes from wild fisheries, but stocks are in decline.
'Organic'
It may seem at odds with the term, but under EU regulations no fish caught from the wild can be labelled as 'organic'. Currently the label is only given to farmed fish (mostly salmon and trout) that meet certain criteria, including restrictions on the pesticides, dyes and antibiotics that can be used.
'Fresh'
Beloved of deodorant ads, music industry types and just about anybody flogging food, 'fresh' is a word you're likely to want to hear when you're buying a fish supper - but does it really guarantee you a no-nasties product? According to the Food Standards Agency, the word 'fresh' is used to describe fish that has been kept chilled on ice, but never frozen. The term should never be used for fish that has been previously frozen then thawed, or for smoked, marinated or salted products.
'Dolphin-friendly/dolphin-safe'
In recent years the term has become buzzwords for an ethical lunch, but in fact it doesn't necessarily guarantee sustainable fishing practices. Though you'll find them on the majority of supermarket tinned tuna, dolphin-friendly labels apply specifically to large Yellowfin tuna caught in the Eastern Pacific, using purse-seine nets to catch the fish who swim with schools of dolphins. The more commonly sold Skipjack tuna is dolphin-friendly by default, as these fish don't swim with dolphins anyway - it's a bit like calling a jam tart 'hedgehog-friendly'.
Canned tuna marked 'dolphin-friendly' certifies that the fish has been caught using methods that avoid incidental harm to dolphins, though research by Greenpeace has found that these methods can result in a larger by-catch of smaller creatures like sharks and turtles.
• Head to the Marine Conservation Society website to support their on going work on restoring the sea's wildlife, encouraging growth of fish stocks, and ensuring beaches and seawater become cleaner.
