Any discussion of tinned fish will not only feature debate about the best choices nutritionally but also the way the fish is caught, and the sustainability practices employed by the major producers around the world. Even though there are many varieties of tinned fish on supermarket shelves, there are many similarities across the brands. The good thing about this is that varieties with clear nutritional benefits really stand out, as do the brands that employ sustainable fishing practices Salmon Mercury concentrations are higher in predatory fish such as tuna and generally increase with age and size. So this concern has largely been associated with the use of tuna species such as albacore and larger tuna specimens. On a global level, there is a failure of cooperation between countries who can't agree on necessary compromises that will protect fisheries," he says. "And in the absence of that consensus, labelling and consumer pressure sends a strong market signal that people want sustainable fishing."

Sitting on the top of the list is the Fish 4 Ever brand. You may not have seen this brand at the supermarket but it is available in many health food stores so do try and find it. Why did it get first place? Fish 4 Ever have been instrumental in using a selective fishing method called 'pole and line'. This means tuna are caught on a hand-held pole and line one by one. It avoids the wasteful catch and death of turtles, sharks and other endangered species. Fish 4 Ever also actively promote established sustainable tuna fisheries and sustainable tuna in political, industry and market forums. They support local coastal fisheries and pay a premium price to local fishers. Fish 4 Ever has a publicly available sustainable and equitable sourcing policy and ensures it is implemented. Despite there being many varieties of tuna on supermarket shelves, they are really all very similar no matter which brand you choose, hence I do not have any clear favourites. We either have tuna in spring water, which is very low in fat and calories; tuna in oil which contains 5-10g fat per serve or flavoured tuna which can contain relatively small amounts of tuna but plenty of added oil and sugars. As a general rule of thumb, low fat tuna does not offer a lot nutritionally other than lean protein, so for a better nutrient boost, look for light options in oil, which still offer some essential fats and flavour. Be especially careful of flavoured tuna options as they can be as low as 40 per cent in fish content. For the batter, combine the ingredients in a bowl and gently whisk until just smooth and lump-free.

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Tuna in spring water tends to have less flavour, but Austin says it can be a good option for cooking.

Pregnant women are advised to limit their fish intake because of placental transfer of mercury to the unborn foetus and the effect of mercury on neural development. Testing three tins As for suggestions that protein in tuna isn't as bio-available, Austin says there is no evidence this is correct. Sustainability-conscious consumers have to be careful which tuna products they buy, because some species are at risk and others are overfished, explains Dr Quentin Hanich, leader of the Fisheries Governance Research Program at Wollongong University.Two separate maximum levels are imposed for fish ― a level of 1.0 mg mercury/kg for the fish that are known to contain high levels of mercury (such as swordfish, southern bluefin tuna, barramundi, ling, orange roughy, rays and shark) and a level of 0.5 mg/kg for all other species of fish.

The term is misleading, as drift netting was banned by the United Nations in 1991. Although there is illegal drift netting occurring around the world, tuna fisheries supplying Australia are unlikely to be affected. Who is the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)? Described as "the benchmark of sustainable fishing practice", it has 100% pole-and-line-caught tuna. Safcol The dose for pregnant women is approximately half this value — 1.6 micrograms per kilogram of body weight per week). According to Pelle, the massive commercial purse seine operations in the Western Pacific are dominated by Japan, Korea, the United States and Taiwan. He says these huge ships harvest local resources but often exclude local fishers, and they can haul up 3000 tonnes of tuna in a single fishing trip – almost double the annual catch of some Pacific Island countries.Add the pasta shells, the tuna (drain about half the oil away) and the baby spinach and mix thoroughly. And traceability of product; the last of which is very important as according to Greenpeace, just under 50% of the product is derived from illegal fishing activity in the Pacific, compounding the overfishing crisis.