North Sea cod should stay off the menu despite efforts to improve stock levels, the Marine Conservation Society has claimed as it issued its latest sustainability advice on which fish to eat and which too avoid.
The marine charity said today North Sea cod would remain on its list of fish to avoid because stocks were only slightly above what were considered to be safe levels.
“Our advice remains to seek alternatives to North Sea cod. There are more sustainable cod fisheries that we currently rate as ‘fish to eat’,” said MCS fisheries officer Bernadette Clarke.
However, fishermen said they were disappointed the charity had not changed its advice.
“We firmly believe that North Sea cod is a sustainable choice for the consumer because the scientific advice indicates that stock levels will continue to rise in future, thanks to the sustainable fishing practices adopted by our fishermen,” said Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation.
However, the SFF said it was pleased the MCS recognised the stock was on the road to recovery due to the conservation efforts of its fishermen.
Industry body Seafish added consumers could continue to buy North Sea cod with confidence, secure in the knowledge that it had been sourced from well-managed fisheries using methods and practices that fell within the set parameters of the EU’s Cod Recovery Plan, which seeks to improve a number of EU cod stocks, including the North Sea stock.
North Sea cod stocks had been recovering steadily for a number of years now, said Tom Pickerell, technical director at Seafish. “Fishing pressure on the stock has been decreasing since the late 1990s and is now considered by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea to be at an appropriate level.”
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