Majority of Britons not eating enough fish, survey finds

Two-thirds of Britons are not eating the recommended two portions of fish a week, a survey suggests.

Almost three quarters of people (74%) do not know how much seafood they should be eating and 68% said they were not eating the two portions recommended in government health guidelines but 55% said they would like to eat more, the poll for the Seafish industry body found.

It released the figures to mark Seafood Week, which runs from today, with the aim of raising awareness about the health benefits of eating fish twice a week, including a portion of oily fish.

Despite there being more than 100 species of seafood available to buy in the UK, the report shows the majority of Britons who do eat fish stick to better-known options including tinned tuna, salmon, cod and haddock.

Debbie Cook, director of corporate relations at Seafish, said: “We’re incredibly lucky to have access to an abundant supply of fresh seafood in the UK and it’s a real shame that so many people aren’t making the most of it.

“To know that two-thirds of the population aren’t following the guidelines and enjoying the health benefits of eating fish twice a week tells us there’s work to be done on educating and empowering people to make the change.”

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is backing Seafood Week to raise aware<br>ness of the importance of eating enough fish to maintain good heart health.

James Cant from the BHF, which is also backing Seafood Week to raise awareness of the importance of fish for heart health, said: “Fish forms a valuable part of a healthy, balanced diet.

“We should all aim to eat at least two portions per week, including one portion of oily fish.”

YouGov surveyed 2,047 UK adults in April.