If you think battered cod doesn't pack quite enough flavour, experts claim to have the perfect alternative.  

Saithe, also known as coley, is a member of the pollock family found around the North Atlantic Ocean with grey-ish coloured flesh. 

When cooked, saithe is said to boast a much stronger and more satisfying flavour than traditional options.   

Norwegian fishermen are promoting saithe to British chippies as a replacement after ocean conservationists warned cod shoals are being decimated by overfishing.

And saithe and chips could increasingly become a common option as chip shop owners seek cheaper alternatives.   

Some English chip shops that have already experimented with saithe including Harrison's Fish and Chips in Oxford and The Scrap Box in York. 

'The UK's fish and chip industry is extremely important – it's an institution,' Bjørn-Erik Stabell, the Norwegian Seafood Council's UK director, told Restaurant. 

 'But we need to look beyond cod and haddock – saithe is a great option.'

Mr Stabell added: 'We've had fantastic feedback from restaurants and chefs who are able to look past the colour.

'We'll be doing a lot of work over the coming year to encourage the industry to make better use of it.'

A member of the pollock family, saithe (known by scientists as Pollachius virens) has darker flesh and a stronger flavour than cod.

Experts said it should not be confused with Atlantic pollock, already used by chip shops as a substitute for cod and haddock.

When raw, saithe flesh has a greyish colour compared with other so-called white fish, which is why it is often overlooked, but when cooked it turns a clear white. 

According to Faroese Seafood, saithe has a distinctive, rich flavour that is more intensely 'fishy' than usual options found in the chippie. 

Chef, author and environmental activist James Strawbridge UK, called saithe 'a great sustainable choice for white fish' with a delicate, sweet flavour and light texture. 

Aside from being battered with chips, it works well in fish pies, fishcakes, croquettes, rice dishes like jambalaya, or simply topped with a herby crumb served with seasonal veg. 

It has firm and flaky flesh, is easy to deep fry, and is also often cheaper than cod and haddock, making it an economical choice. 

Saithe is found throughout the British Isles and Ireland, but it's more common off the north-west Scottish and Irish coasts. 

Unlike cod and haddock, it's a sustainable fish, meaning it can currently be caught in ways that allow the long-term future and viability of the species. 

According to the report from Restaurant, low cod and haddock quotas in recent years have put intense pressure on fish and chip shops to raise their prices. 

British demand for cod and haddock vastly exceeds supply, even when accounting for imports. 

Conversely, British demand for saithe stays relatively low even though it is significantly cheaper. 

It is more popular in countries like France, Germany, Norway and Sweden. 

In the past 12 months, the UK imported 191,149 tonnes of cod and 101,330 tonnes of haddock, compared with 957 tonnes of saithe. 

A recent study by University of Exeter researchers found the UK now imports more than six times as much seafood as in 1900. 

Today, an estimated 80 per cent of UK seafood demand is met by imports from overseas fisheries. 

Imported fish to the UK comes from over 2,000 miles away on average – with China the largest source. 

According to the Marine Conservation Society, we should avoid eating the 'big five' overfished species – cod, prawns, salmon, tuna and haddock.

Instead, we should choose more sustainable options – hake, mussels, farmed trout, anchovies, sardines and saithe.