Alternatives to tuna

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Tuna has been in the news a lot lately because of the reduced fish stocks in the sea. Not only do current net fishing techniques mean we're over farming tuna at an alarming rate - often other species such as sharks, turtles and dolphins are killed in the process.

If you love your tuna sarnie at lunch time but are worried about the things you're hearing, there are lots of alternatives to tuna you could try. So, give tuna a break and try some of our other fish recipes instead:

Salmon
The ultimate picnic sandwich
Salmon wrap with horseradish
Sweet chilli salmon
Couscous, chickpea and salmon salad
Mini jacket potatoes with prawns and salmon

Cod
Cod with roasted veggies
Roast cod on lemon and parsley mash
Steamed cod with warm new potato and pea salad
Cod, prawn and parsley pie

Mackerel
Smoked mackerel kedgeree
Peppered mackerel with eggs
Smoked mackerel and spring onion jacket

Haddock
Haddock with peppers
Haddock fillet with leek and spinach stuffing
Smoked haddock fishcakes

Sea bass
Sea bass with beetroot salsa
Seared sea bass with chive and lemon butter
Sea bass with red Leicester and hot aubergine salsa

If you really don't want to give up eating tuna, then buying line or pole-caught tuna is a much friendlier option. 'Purse Seine' net fishing can catch up to 7,000 fish at a time, wiping out whole schools of tuna in one go, whereas line fishing almost always lets some get away to rebreed and re-populate the seas. With line fishing, there's no chance of catching sharks, turtles or dolphins and the tuna also aren't left gasping for air in the huge nets, which leads to a build up of lactic acid and really reduces the quality of the fish.

Where you can buy ethically-sourced tuna

Sainsbury's - All tinned tuna is pole or line caught.
Marks & Spencer - All tuna products, including sandwich fillings, are pole or line caught.
Co-op - 60% is pole or line caught largely their own-brand lines, but check packaging.
Waitrose - Soon to introduce a new own-brand range of tinned tuna, which will be 100 per cent pole-and-line caught skipjack.
Asda - Are moving towards pole and line caught for a limited range, around 10% of their tuna stocks.
John West & Princes - Yet to change to better fishing methods.
Tesco - Won't comment on how their tuna is sourced.
Morrisons - Won't comment on how their tuna is sourced.