Getting a daily dose of protein is increasingly expensive, with prices for meat and eggs rising sharply in recent years.

In general, fish prices have headed in a similar direction – not even New Zealand’s favourite Friday night combo, a piece of fish and chips, has escaped the price hikes.

So how do you get your fish fix without going under?

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Stats NZ’s food price index measures changes in average prices for food and food services by tracking the cost of individual food items in a representative food basket.

As well as monitoring the cost of fresh and canned fish, Stats NZ keeps an eye on the price of frozen fillets and takeaway fish and chips.

Unfortunately for fish fans, all but one have seen reasonably sharp price increases over the last five years.

Canned tuna has experienced the biggest price hike, with a 185 gram can up 25 per cent to $3.08.

Though significantly more expensive on a per-kilo basis, fresh fish has seen a smaller increase, up 21 per cent from $31.49 in June 2017 to $38.18 in January 2022.

At the chippie, a piece of fish and chips was $6.38 five years ago but now comes in at $8.07, a 26 per cent increase. However, some of that will be down to the higher price of potatoes, up 36 per cent from $1.96 to $2.67 a kilo since 2017.

Bucking the trend, the price of frozen fish fillets has stayed relatively stable. While there have been many small fluctuations, a 500g pack was actually cheaper in January this year, coming in at $7.39 compared to $7.44 in June 2017.

Assuming you’re not catching it yourself (in which case snapper/kahawai/spotties all come in at about the same price – pretty much free), canned or frozen fish are the cheapest options.

Using Stats NZ’s average prices, canned tuna works out to be $16.65 a kilo, while frozen fillets are $14.88/kg, both less than half the average price of fresh fillets.

Of the fresh options on offer at the supermarket, New Zealand snapper regularly tops $50 a kilo, $5 to $10 a kilo more than fresh local salmon.

At the other end of the scale, fresh New Zealand pearl can be found for around $15 a kilogram. Also known as ghost shark, pearl is a firm white fish, frequently used in fish and chip shops.

If you like the fancier fish, opt to treat yourself only when it’s on sale. Wrap, date and freeze what won’t be eaten immediately – oily fish (like trout, tuna or salmon) will last about three months in the freezer, while lean fish (cod, gurnard or snapper) is good for about six months.

As the saying goes, give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime.

If you’ve got the patience for fishing, a rod, reel and a few hooks can be a very worthwhile investment. A basic kit costs as little as $50 from somewhere like The Warehouse, or you can pick up a secondhand rod and reel for even less.

Add on $5 or $10 for a bag of bait and you’re set for several weekends at the wharf or river mouth.

If you’re buying a whole fish, use the bones to make stock by simmering the head, bones, tail and any scraps of flesh along with aromatic vegetables and herbs.

Onions, leeks, garlic, celery, parsley, tarragon, and bay leaves are all good, but steer clear of carrots, which will turn your stock an unappealing shade of orange.

Use the stock in chowders, soups, seafood risotto or paella. Unused stock can be frozen for up to six months.

If you have a family of fish fans, try shopping at a local fish market or retail shop attached to a processing plant.

As well as offering the freshest fish you’re likely to find, they often have a better selection and prices than supermarkets.