Standing in front of the fish counter, looking at a restaurant menu or deciding what to cook for dinner: choosing seafood is easy. Knowing which option is the more sustainable choice can be much harder. Which species are in season? Which seafood is recommended right now? Has the fish had the opportunity to reproduce before being caught?
On yesterday's World Maritime Day, the EU-funded Mr.Goodfish3.0 project showed that making a more responsible seafood choice does not have to be complicated. Its free Mr.Goodfish app puts practical guidance directly into consumers' hands, helping them decide what seafood to choose wherever they are.
A sustainable seafood guide in your pocket
You don't need to become a fisheries expert to make a more informed choice. The Mr.Goodfish app allows consumers to check which seafood species are recommended and in season, discover sustainable recipes and find participating seafood professionals nearby. The recommendations are based on scientific criteria including resource status, size, and seasonality. For wild-caught seafood, for example, Mr.Goodfish recommends species when resources are considered healthy: the fish have reached maturity, and they are outside their breeding season.
"Choosing local, in-season fish while helping producers' long-term livelihood is something most people would like to do, but no one wants to stand in the market reading fine print or ask waiters difficult questions," says Daniel Hayes, Coordinator of Mr.Goodfish3.0 project, Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute. "Mr. Goodfish3.0 app gives both the supplier and the consumer a trusted, scientific approach to identify and promote those products."
The result is practical information available when it matters most: when deciding what to buy, order or cook.
From policy to practice, and onto our plates
World Maritime Day 2026 is celebrated under the theme "From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence", calling attention to the importance of turning ambitions for a safer, greener and more resilient maritime future into action.
For consumers, putting sustainability into practice can start with everyday choices, including the seafood we buy and eat. Mr.Goodfish has been helping consumers and seafood professionals choose seafood more responsibly since 2010. Today, the EU-funded Mr.Goodfish3.0 project is expanding this approach across Europe, covering products from marine and freshwater fisheries as well as aquaculture.
Making a more responsible seafood choice shouldn't require you to become a fisheries expert. Mr.Goodfish translates scientific criteria into simple, practical recommendations that people can use when they are buying seafood, ordering in a restaurant or deciding what to cook at home."
Maëlle Montier, project officer, Nausicaá, one of the project's partnerts
The Mr.Goodfish digital platform brings together information on more than 150 species, over 300 sustainable recipes and 500 committed seafood professionals, giving consumers practical tools to make responsible seafood consumption easier in everyday life.
Download the free Mr.Goodfish app for iOS or Android:www.mrgoodfish.com/en/mr-goodfish-unveils-new-website-and-mobile-app/
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