font loading for Top nav

M&S fish and seafood 


At M&S, we care about where your fish comes from: all our fish and seafood is responsibly sourced and our rigorous sourcing policy, Forever Fish, protects precious oceans and works to improve the sustainability of fisheries.
Forever Fish

M&S fish and seafood is 100% responsibly sourced

At M&S, we’ve had a sustainable fish and seafood sourcing policy in place for more than 20 years. That means we can trace all our fish – from fishcakes to fresh cod and tinned tuna – back to where it’s caught. We only work with fisheries who adhere to our strict sourcing policy and endeavour to improve their sustainability. Plus, we only source from farmed fish producers who help us to deliver our high animal welfare standards. We also work alongside fisheries around the world to ensure best practice for crew welfare, promote responsible fisheries management and advocate for policy reform to protect our precious oceans. On top of all that, we're proud to say we're the only national retailer selling 100% pole & line caught skipjack tuna.

Responsibly sourced Scottish trout

All M&S trout is responsibly farmed in Loch Earn, Loch Awe and Loch Etive on Scotland’s picture-perfect west coast. Our RSPCA Assured trout is unique to M&S and reared for us from hatchlings to mature fish with plenty of space to swim and a sustainable diet. The end result? Deliciously succulent and delicately flavoured fish that works in a range of different dishes.

Scottish trout
Salmon farmer Sarah Last

Where does M&S salmon come from?

Sourced from the crystal-clear waters surrounding Scotland’s stunning west and northern coasts, M&S salmon is high in omega 3 and is perfectly flaky and succulent. That’s because the salmon are reared in specially selected marine sites with faster-flowing waters, which allows them to swim harder, ensuring the fish are fitter and stronger. All our Scottish salmon is RSPCA Assured, meaning they’re raised to higher welfare standards, the way nature intended, with plenty of space to swim.

Sarah Last is a manager at Nevis salmon farm in Mallaig, on the west coast of Scotland. “There’s no secret as to why M&S salmon tastes so good,” she says. “Our salmon are kept in this beautiful coastal environment, swimming against strong currents and tides so they grow into really healthy fish. They are fed a diet high in omega 3 and naturally high in vitamins.”

We have the tastiest British crab

The clear, shallow waters surrounding the Scottish Orkney islands are the perfect environment for the sweetest, most delicious brown crab. That’s why we source all our brown crab from the Orkney Fishermen’s Society, and we have done since 2002. Founded in 1953, it’s a cooperative of local fisherman who also have shares in the company. We care about sustainability on the islands, too – M&S has worked with Orkney Fishermen’s Society, Orkney Sustainable Fisheries and World Wide Fund for Nature to fund a research project into marine biology, animal welfare and stock assessment, which has been ongoing since 2012 in collaboration with Scotland’s Heriot-Watt University. 

Brown crabs
Scottish fishing boat on the water

The freshest Scottish seafood

M&S is one of the largest supporters of the Scottish fishing industry. We’ve worked with Lunar, a fourth-generation family fishing company, for 35 years, to bring top-quality Scottish mackerel, herring and haddock to our stores. “M&S has high-quality standards and champions Scottish fish. This works for us, because the market’s on our doorstep,” says Lunar’s Iain Stephen. Iain and his team ensure only the freshest fish is landed for us, and pack it within a two-mile radius of where their boats dock. All our Scottish haddock is Marine Stewardship Council-approved, and Lunar's boats also maintain high standards of crew welfare onboard the vessels. 

The RSPCA is the UK’s largest animal welfare charity, operating throughout England and Wales advocating for animal welfare, rehoming animals, and conducting investigations and securing convictions for abuse of animals. The SSPCA and USPCA fulfil a similar role in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and all work together to advocate for animal welfare across the UK. In addition to this work, the RSPCA develops welfare standards for farm animals, which outline best practice in care and welfare, to ensure farm animals have a better quality of life. These standards are world renowned and used by many welfare organisations worldwide. In the UK, these standards are applied through the RSPCA’s farm assurance scheme, RSPCA Assured. RSPCA Assured works across all of the UK to support farmers who wish to raise their animals to higher welfare standards.