North Sea cod could be back on menu as numbers improve

September 25, 2015 — The eco-conscious fish and chips lover may soon be able to enjoy guilt-free battered cod caught in the North Sea after the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) removed it from their red list of fish to avoid eating.

Stringent catch controls were imposed on the species in 2006 after two decades of overfishing pushed cod populations to the brink of collapse. But a recovery of North Atlantic stocks has led the MCS to nudge cod into their amber category for fish that can be occasionally eaten.

This month, the Marine Stewardship Council, which sets standards for sustainable fishing, began an assessment of the health of North Sea populations. This could lead to the cod gaining certification for sale in British high streets, as has happened with Scottish haddock and Cornish hake.

Almost all cod sold in the UK’s fish and chip shops – 50,000 tonnes-worth – comes from the Arctic Sea. “It is encouraging to see this change in scoring from the MCS,” the council’s North Atlantic director, Toby Middleton, said. “The signs of improvement are there.”

Read the full story at The Guardian