Choose seafood by checking the specific species, its catch area or farm, and how it was caught or raised—then consult a current guide relevant to your market. A familiar name such as sardine, hake, or seabass is not enough to determine sustainability: conditions can differ between fisheries and farms, even for the same species.
What Mediterranean seafood trends do—and don’t—tell you
The regional picture is mixed. In its 2025 report, the FAO’s General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) said fishing pressure across assessed Mediterranean and Black Sea stocks had fallen by 50 percent over the preceding 10 years. Biomass of assessed commercial species rose by 25 percent between 2013 and 2023, and 52 percent of assessed stocks remained overfished, down from 87 percent a decade earlier. The assessment covered 120 stocks; these regional figures do not describe every local population or product sold under a familiar fish name. FAO/GFCM, 28 November 2025.
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Species trends also differ. The same report said sardine stocks still showed signs of biomass depletion after sustained overexploitation, while European hake showed modest biomass recovery with high variability among subregions. Neither finding supports a universal buy-or-avoid rule. Check the current advice for the particular fishery and market before choosing. FAO/GFCM, 28 November 2025.
A practical way to compare seafood choices
- Identify the fish precisely. Look beyond a local or common name where possible. In the EU, covered products must generally identify the commercial and scientific species name; the scientific name can help distinguish species with similar market names. Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013.
- Find its origin. Ask for the catch area if it is wild-caught, or the farming country for aquaculture. “Mediterranean” may be less informative than a more specific area or country where that information is available. WWF recommends asking where seafood comes from. WWF-UK seafood top tips.
- Ask how it was produced. For wild fish, note the fishing gear category when provided. For farmed seafood, ask about the production method and sourcing. A wild-caught or farmed label alone does not establish sustainability. Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013; WWF-UK seafood top tips.
- Check a current seafood guide for the relevant geography. Recommendations can differ by source and method, and a guide written for another country may not apply to the product in front of you. WWF advises consumers to check sourcing and use responsible seafood guidance. WWF-UK seafood top tips.
- Compare alternatives on the same evidence. If your usual choice is unavailable or poorly rated, consider another species—but check its origin and method too. WWF offers mussels as a possible lower-impact alternative to farmed shrimp and recommends variety among well-managed seafood; this is not a claim that every mussel fishery or farm is a good choice. WWF-UK seafood top tips.
- Use season and locality as additional clues. Local or seasonal seafood may be worth considering, but neither label proves that a fishery or farm is well managed. Traceable sourcing and current guidance still matter. WWF-UK seafood top tips.
What to look for on labels—and what they cannot tell you
For covered seafood sold to consumers or mass caterers in the EU, information requirements generally include the commercial and scientific species names, whether the product is caught or farmed, the catch area or farming country, and the gear category for wild-caught fish. The label must also indicate whether the product has been defrosted, subject to specified rules and exceptions. These requirements vary by product scope; processed products do not all have to show the same full set of information. Regulation (EU) No 1379/2013; European Commission, Seafood markets.
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If a label is unclear, ask the fishmonger, retailer, or restaurant for the exact species, origin, and production method. If those details are unavailable, that uncertainty limits how confidently you can compare the product with a guide.
Certification can add useful information, but read it as an assessment of a specific fishery rather than a blanket endorsement of a species. The Marine Stewardship Council says certification assesses individual fisheries, including population health, wider ocean impacts, and management. Marine Stewardship Council, What Species Are Sustainable.
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How to think about familiar choices and farmed fish
Sardines and hake
Regional findings on sardines and hake show why broad lists can mislead: the reported depletion in sardine biomass and modest, uneven hake recovery are not a substitute for an assessment of the product’s own stock and catch area. Use them as reasons to check local, updated advice, not as automatic instructions to buy or avoid either fish. FAO/GFCM, 28 November 2025.
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Seabream and seabass
Aquaculture is a substantial part of regional seafood production. FAO/GFCM reported 940,000 tonnes of marine and brackish aquaculture in 2023, more than 45 percent of regional aquatic food production. Gilthead seabream accounted for 34.5 percent and European seabass for 29.7 percent of regional aquaculture output. These are production shares, not sustainability ratings for a particular farm. The report also identifies environmental impacts, animal health, and biosecurity as continuing aquaculture challenges. FAO/GFCM, 28 November 2025.
For a farmed choice, seek information about its source and production method and check relevant current guidance. “Farmed” is a description of production, not a verdict on environmental performance.
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