Anchovies join cod on threatened fish list

by Amy Judd | September 4, 2008 at 09:27 am

1629 views | 4 Recommendations | 12 comments

This may be surprising to some people, but the small anchovie fish have now joined other endangered species such as cod, on the threatened fish species list.

The Marine Conservation Society in the UK published their guide to sustainable seafood, and anchovies are not on the list.

By ranking common seafood from 1 for sustainable to 5 for endangered, the society's Good Fish Guide warns shoppers which varieties to avoid.

Sixty-nine received the worst rating of 5, including monkfish from north and northwest Spain, North Sea cod and dogfish. Others to avoid include the Atlantic salmon, common skate and swordfish.

However fish eaters can instead eat pollack, gurnard, and king mackerel.

While conservationists have long warned of the depletion of cod stocks by over fishing, the plight of some fish, such as anchovies may surprise consumers.

Anchovies are used a lot in Mediterranean cooking and in salads and pizza toppings, however the stocks need time to replenish so shoppers and diners are being asked to avoid them.

Anchovies in the Bay of Biscay are at an all-time low and, as there is no sustainable alternative, they have been added to the MCS's updated Fish to Avoid list.

Anchovy populations in the Bay of Biscay have been struggling since 2002, as overfishing left fewer adult fish to provide eggs. The fishery suffered a complete failure in 2004 and is now officially closed.

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Resonant Earth

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 11:13 on September 4th, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff. thanks for the info

KiwiGirlSteph

at 17:03 on September 4th, 2008

Monterey Aquarium Anchovies. Could this be the only place left to see Anchovy once they are extinct?

KiwiGirlSteph has contributed a photo to this story.

Imran Yousuf

at 17:30 on September 4th, 2008

One of the large tanks at the Monterey Bay Aquarium... see the school of Anchovies shimmering the top left.

Imran Yousuf has contributed a photo to this story.

Jiteo

at 17:54 on September 4th, 2008

Being so numerous I never imagine that anchovies would be endangered.

Jiteo has contributed a photo to this story.

PlanMyGreen

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 20:07 on September 4th, 2008

amyjudd, I like this story. It's good stuff. I didn't realize anchovies were still as popular as they used to be. In fact, I don't think I have ever even seen an anchovie on a pizza, and although I have seen them at the grocery store, I am pretty sure it has been the same can for the past few years. It is great to know which fish to avoid, as Atlantic salmon and swordfish are common to see in the local cooler.

Raul Benjamin

at 22:23 on September 4th, 2008

I took this picture of anchovies freshly caught by the local fishermen....i didnt realize it's now one of the threatened species..it seems so be abundant in the Philippines but I guess the over fishing using small eye nets and illegal dynamite fishing in some cases has taken its toll. These anchovies are normally dried and sold at the fish market. :-(

Raul Benjamin has contributed a photo to this story.

jamesks

at 00:19 on September 5th, 2008

They have been talking about this in Spain for a few years, unfortunately the attitude is probably something like - 'I should eat lots now, since in a few years there won't be any left!'

Anchovies (Boquerones) are very popular can common in Spain, particularly preserved in vinegar like in the image, or fried. You will find them in every bar food counter.

jamesks has contributed a photo to this story.

Lethal D

at 07:35 on September 5th, 2008

A bowl of delicious fish.

Lethal D has contributed a photo to this story.

trevor meyer

at 08:09 on September 5th, 2008

The species of anchovy you mention in your article is the European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus. The species in my picture is a Caribbean species and is not endangered.

trevor meyer has contributed a photo to this story.

firecatstef

at 08:51 on September 5th, 2008

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a lot of anchovy-school exhibits, but in most of them the fish are in a narrow container and can only travel in a circle or back and forth. But the school in the kelp exhibit (shown in my photo) is larger and has more room to move, and it makes all sorts of fascinating shapes. I watched it for almost an hour.

Sebastian Budderhor

at 09:13 on September 5th, 2008

Wonderful story Ms. Judd. Thank you for your concern and persistence.

Broken Lens

at 09:18 on September 5th, 2008

This story really made me think. When I was a kid my father would eat cans of anchovies marinated in tomato sauce and served on crackers. It was always a delicious snack. It is so sad to me that there may be things like this that I will never be able to do with my kids. I also worry about the futures of their children.

We are so rapidly depleting so many things as time goes on. At what point will there not be anything real left? When will cloned beef, cloned chicken and other lab-made foods be our only option?