Selection criteria

• Four main criteria have been chosen for drawing up the suggested fish and fishery product lists.
   
  1.    Stock status: To ensure their exploitation is sustainable, Mr.Goodfish species must come from healthy stocks, whose status has been verified by specialists. In other words, the stocks in question must be monitored by one or more scientific institutions or alternatively it must be possible to obtain authoritative scientific opinion on them. If no such data is available, a species shall not be recommended by Mr.GoodFish.
  As a given species may come from several different stocks (different origins), the fishing area specified on catch reports is crucial. This information is a requirement for a product to be eligible for the «Mr.GoodFish» label. The landing port is useful to know, but it is not essential. 
  2.    Size: The minimum recommended size shall be the size at first sexual maturity. If there is a gender size difference at first sexual maturity, the larger size shall apply. It is worth pointing out that this is often different to the minimum landing size specified in statutory instruments.
  3.    Season: Mr.Goodfish shall publish recommended lists of species for each season. The recommended seasons shall be those that lie outside the reproduction peak(s) for the species concerned. The actual dates may be modified in any given year where scientific data indicates a shift in the timing of reproduction peak(s).
  4.    Species status: Referenceshall be made to the latest advice on stocks from the ICES, which is published annually.
   
  In conclusion: A species shall not be included in the proposed Mr.Goodfish seasonal list unless all four of the above criteria are satisfied.