A festive fish without guilt

For most Polish families, a festive table without fish is unthinkable. The problem is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to be sure that by choosing fish for the holidays we are not contributing to overfishing and the destruction of habitats. This is why the Guter Fisch – Liste der Verbraucherzentralen 2025/26 was created, a list of wild marine fish and shellfish designed to indicate which species can be eaten with pleasure without harming the oceans.

What kind of list is this and who creates it?

Guter Fisch – Liste der Verbraucherzentralen 2025/26 is a joint initiative of several organisations: the Verbraucherzentrale network, WWF, NABU, Deutsche Umwelthilfe and the GEOMAR research centre. Each year, the team analyses data on stock status, fishing pressure and how fisheries affect the seabed and the entire ecosystem.

Importantly, this is a positive list, it includes only those options that currently meet strict criteria based on available data. It focuses primarily on wild marine fish, with farmed rope-grown mussels as the sole exception. How is Guter Fisch created and why is the list so short?

At first glance, the list may be disappointing, as it contains only 14 entries: 13 species of wild fish and one rope-grown mussel. This is the result of very strict criteria.

Experts assess each species, or rather each specific stock in a given area, using several factors:
• stock status,
• fishing pressure,
• fishing method,
• role in the ecosystem.

Festive fish, so which one to choose?

The list may be short, but you do not have to give up fish for Christmas Eve. Here are some recommended options that often appear in Polish shops:

• flatfish from the Baltic Sea (flounder, plaice, dab) but only if the label shows the correct area and confirms that they were caught with traps or pots rather than methods that strongly disturb the seabed;
• herring from the Gulf of Riga, where the stock is returning to better condition thanks in part to fishing restrictions;
• anchovy from the Bay of Biscay, a small schooling fish recommended when certain pelagic nets are used and bottom fishing is avoided;
• Pacific salmon from Alaska (chum and sockeye/red salmon), included in the list when appropriate fishing methods and fisheries management are applied;
• Atlantic bonito and albacore tuna, where recommendations depend on the area and on whether the fish was caught using methods with a lower bycatch risk, such as handline or trolling, rather than more ecosystem-burdening techniques;
• blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) from rope culture, an interesting alternative because mussels filter water and do not require feed like most farmed fish;
• Alaska pollock, which appears on the list as a conditionally recommended choice, where the specific area and fishing practices matter, including measures to limit seabed impact.

In every case, the list specifies a particular fishing area and an acceptable fishing method. Most importantly, a species from one area may be considered a good choice, but not recommended from another.

How to choose a good fish in the shop?

It is simpler than you might think, you just need to spend a moment reading the label. In the EU, fresh and frozen fish should be accompanied by information that helps with this: the name of the fish, the fishing area, often given as an FAO or ICES code, the category of fishing gear and the production method, caught or farmed.

Step by step:

1. Check the species and see whether it is on the list and whether it is the fish you are looking for, for example herring, flatfish, anchovy or Pacific salmon.
2. Check the area, for example for herring the Gulf of Riga is key, while for flatfish it is important that the Baltic area matches the one indicated in the list.
3. Check the fishing method and choose options with a lower environmental impact, such as traps or pots, handlines or pelagic nets, and be cautious with methods associated with greater seabed disturbance and higher bycatch risk.

The MSC logo, Marine Stewardship Council, can be an additional hint, but it does not replace verification of the area and the method, because these are what ultimately determine whether a given fish truly fits the recommendations. A good solution is to save the document as a PDF on your phone, so that in the shop you can compare the label with the list and make the right decision.

For those who do not want to give up festive fish, the Guter Fisch list is currently one of the most useful tools for reducing one’s footprint in the seas and ensuring that a holiday dish does not come with a guilty conscience.