June 14, 2013 – Nine months ago, the U.K.’s Sunday Times famously claimed fewer than 100 mature cod were left in the North Sea. Fortunately, the report was well wide of the truth. Since a historical low in 2006, North Sea cod stocks have actually grown every year for the past seven years.
International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) figures show the spawning stock of North Sea cod increased by 250 percent between 2006 and 2012 and could soon reach the minimum desired level of 70,000 metric tons (MT) for the first time since 1998. This turnaround has been achieved through a series of fishermen/scientist collaborations that have delivered better, more robust evidence upon which effective fisheries management decisions have been made in recent years.
As SeafoodSource reported last week, it’s feasible the fishery could achieve Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification within two or three years if it continues on its current recovery trajectory. From a sustainability perspective, this is excellent news and should be universally applauded, not least because it endorses the tough management measures that have been implemented. But looking at the situation from a commercial point of view, there could be problems establishing a viable market for increased volumes of U.K. cod in the current consumer climate.
Over the past decade, the U.K. population has adopted the very black and white “don’t eat cod — it’s endangered” mindset. I have heard many a nervous order placed for the species at my local fish and chip shop on a Friday evening, for example. But it’s not just the man on the street that’s in the dark; conversations with suppliers suggest a similar problem exists with professional chefs.
Read the full story at SeafoodSource.com