Do you know Pollock from pollock or a collie from a coley? If you don’t you are not alone as new research reveals that Britons struggle to name common fish, while two-fifths admit that they have “only ever eaten it in batter or breadcrumbs”.
Is that wrong? Both are delicious!
Over half of those surveyed had no idea that a John Dory was a spiny fish; 12% mistakenly thought “he” was a famous poet, according to the Marine Stewardship Council poll. The Family Fortunes-style answers do not stop there. The poll of 2,000 adults found that 10% of respondents thought a coley was a breed of dog.
Well, when put on the spot, it seems a lot of people try their best...
Another 6% said the only pollock they had heard of was the American artist Jackson Pollock. A similar number thought that a hake was a garden tool.
...but just can't do it!
They might not know the taxonomy, but that does not stop Britons eating lots of fish, as those surveyed ate it an average of five times a month. However, they tended to eat the same things, and 80% of the seafood eaten in the UK is made up of the “big five”: cod, haddock, salmon, tuna and prawns.
Yes, and?
George Clark, the MSC’s UK & Ireland programme director, said the poll showed that there was a big opportunity for consumers to improve their fish knowledge and seafood skills. This month it is “encouraging people to try something different”, particularly sustainable varieties of fish and seafood caught by fishing communities around the UK.
Put them in batter and breadcrumbs and they probably will!
