'We need to remember there's more fish in the sea', warns study
The University of Exeter has noted a sharp decline in what we're encouraged to cook from the oceans
A university of Exeter study's found fewer fish now feature in recipe magazines then they used to.
It's found things like cod, haddock, tuna, salmon and prawns now make up 80 per cent of all seafood eaten in the UK - and the majority of recipes.
Both of the recent Plymouth and Torbay seafood festivals urged locals to make more use of the wide-variety of catch landed in Devon.
Dr Ruth Thurstan, from the University of Exeter, studied seafood recipes published in the magazine Good Housekeeping from 1923 to the present day.
“The results reveal a striking story of change,” said Dr Thurstan, from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.
“This wasn't simply a case of fewer species being available – herring, oyster and lobster can all still be bought – but it reflects a genuine narrowing of what readers were being shown and encouraged to cook, at least within the pages of this magazine.
“This shift didn't happen by accident, or because British tastes are naturally conservative. Instead, it reflects decades of interacting changes in fish supply, trade, and supply chains, which shaped what domestic cooks came to see as familiar and desirable to eat.
“Recipes are not a direct measure of consumption or preference, but they show what people were expected to recognise, access, and want to cook at a given time. This makes them a valuable window into how food cultures change.”
Dr Thurstan said her work shows current diets aren’t “fixed or inevitable” – but can change, and are shaped by multiple factors including supply, price, history and culture.
She added: “Today, the UK exports most of the diverse fish caught here, and imports most of the narrow range of fish we eat.
“If we want to change that, and make our seafood consumption healthier and more sustainable, understanding this mix of factors will be a key ingredient.”