Coley could be the next big growth area in fish if it was marketed more effectively, according to leading fish producer Young's Seafood.

The fish, which is dull white in colour and from the same family as cod, is currently mostly sold as "white fish" in supermarkets. It should be promoted as a fish in its own right and not just as a substitute for cod, said Young's head of sustainability Mike Mitchell at Young's Fish Forum this week.

Persuading more people to eat coley would have the double benefit of reducing the pressure on cod stocks and making use of an abundant but largely untapped UK resource, he said.

"We need to get people to try it, but there are strong preconceptions to change, especially that it can't taste as good as cod," he said. "It's a real shame people don't appreciate its values."

Even if 10% of people switched from cod to coley, it would make a significant difference, he said, adding that more consumer education was needed about coley's health benefits.

Other potential growth areas could be gurnard, a UK fish that is largely exported to France, and flatfishes witch and megrim, which could provide a good alternative to plaice.

The fish industry also needed to encourage more people to eat fish generally, agreed the forum. Most fish eaters were either older consumers or younger "foodies", said Mitchell. Other shoppers tended to find fish counters intimidating and bought frozen instead.

To combat this, a number of retailers were working on developing a model "fish counter of the future", he revealed.

Among the ideas they are exploring are the introduction of information on species and provenance, touch screens and advice on how to cook fish. Staff would have to be trained to deal with customers' questions, said Mitchell.

"These things are do-able. We just need a couple of far-sighted retailers to do it," he added.

Topics