The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), the ocean not-for-profit responsible for the world’s leading sustainable seafood ecolabel, has launched its Ocean Cookbook 2025.
The free digital cookbook brings together chefs from all over the world to create a collection of healthy, delicious everyday recipes that tell a sustainability story about the seafood we all love.
On local soil (or water?), our very own Chef Naledi Toona has happily stepped into her role as MSC’s campaign ambassador for a third year in a row.
- The South African rendition of the cookbook features whitefish – that is hake, haddock and cape whiting as locally available whitefish alternatives found in South African supermarkets and sourced from the MSC certified hake trawl fishery.
The South African hake trawl fishery has been certified to the MSC’s Fisheries Standard since 2004 and was the first hake fishery in the world to meet this gold standard for fisheries sustainability.
With theme, ‘Good for You and the Ocean too’, the cookbook is the centerpiece of the MSC’s main awareness campaign at the start of the year, traditionally a time for healthy and more environmentally conscious eating. The Ocean Cookbook also highlights how easy it is to cook nutritious, sustainable and affordable seafood at home.
“The ocean is vital to human life on our planet. It feeds billions and supports the livelihoods of millions more. We rely on it for our oxygen intake, climate regulation, and it is home to such wonderful biodiversity. Through simple, everyday choices each of us can help protect the ocean into the future. One such small act is to support sustainable fishing practices by choosing products carrying the blue MSC label when shopping for seafood,” says Louanne Mostert, Marketing and Communications Manager for MSC.
Included in the choice of recipes are grilled fish kebabs and a mouthwatering fish burger by Swedes, Malin Nordblom and Stina Algulin; a fish potpie to feed the family by Polish chef, Madame Edith; a healthy spin on classic fish and chips by Kati Pohjanmaa, a Finish chef; and Chef Naledi’s popular and light hake tacos and coconut hake dishes.
“Cooking has always been an act of love for me and hake is such a versatile, sustainable and quick-to-cook ingredient. My entire family enjoys eating whitefish. I am proud to present the MSC’s Ocean Cookbook for a third year in a row. It conveys a message I resonate with and features recipes ideal as simple suppers, for school lunchboxes and more,” she adds.
To help raise the profile, the cookbook includes stunning photography from internationally renowned food photographer, David Loftus, who has worked with Jamie Oliver throughout his career. David Loftus is a great believer in sustainable fishing. “This goes way beyond food. It’s about the future of our Ocean. We need to step up to the plate right now… or we’re in deep water.”
The Ocean Cookbook 2025 is available as a free, digital cookbook on the MSC’s website and is featured in most food magazines now on sale in-store!
