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Quarter of children think 'haddock' is a footballer, according to new survey

01 Apr 2015

A quarter of children think haddock is a footballer and nearly half (44%) draw a blank when asked what Sea Bass is, according to a new survey.

The survey of 2,000 children and adults found kids’ fish knowledge to be off the scales, with one in ten children thinking fish either grew in the supermarket or were caught in garden ponds.

When it comes to Fish Friday 38% of kids thought the traditional Good Friday Easter dish was either fish fingers or chocolate rather than the traditional fish supper.

A third of kids were unable to recognise a cooked salmon fillet on a plate, with some thinking it was a pork chop or beef steak.

However, it’s no wonder nearly a quarter (23%) of kids don’t know haddock is a type of fish, with one in five parents admitting they avoid fish altogether because they don’t know how to cook it.

Although the majority of families eat fish once a week, a huge 75% of people are still falling beneath the recommended weekly fish quota outlined by government body Seafish of two fish meals a week.

A further one in ten parents say they hate touching raw fish, especially whole with the head still on. However, the younger generation are the worst affected by this as five times as many 18-24 year olds (24%) refuse to touch raw fish compared to just 5% aged 45-54.

Asda has teamed up with seafood restaurateur and food writer Mitch Tonks to encourage people to fight their fishy phobias and ‘Make Fish the Dish this Easter.

Tonks said: ““The research shows we’re not eating as much fish as we should be.  Busy Brits like convenience and fuss free cooking so when they do opt for fish the temptation is to crack open a tin of tuna or put some fish fingers in the oven, instead of choosing fresh seafood, which is rich in omega-3.

“What better occasion to remind Brits of the benefits of eating fish regularly than Fish Friday, a day where people traditionally opt for seafood over other foods to celebrate Easter?”