Going Out | Food + Drink

North sea cod is now sustainable and can be eaten with a ‘clear conscience’

The fish was previously considered under threat for more than a decade, but has now been given the blue badge from the Marine Stewardship Council
Shutterstock / Rugged Studio
Liz Connor
19 July 2017

It’s good news for people who love nothing more than tucking into battered cod and chips at the seaside, because the much-loved fish has been classified as sustainable by a global fishing standards body.

After a decade of being under threat, The Marine Stewardship Council has advised eco-friendly diners that North Sea stocks can be consumed with a ‘clear conscience’.

The popular fish has been on careful watch after stocks fell to 36,000 tonnes in 2006 - down from 270,000 tonnes in the 1970s.

But a carefully managed cross-industry ‘rescue plan’ has helped to encourage cod numbers to recover exponentially on the east coast.

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The MSC made the decision to award Scottish cod the ‘blue tick’ eco label, after emergency measures were brought in to stop the industry collapsing.

These included introducing new nets with bigger holes that allow young cod to escape, closing spawning areas to fishing and managing fishing practices.

When customers purchase North Sea cod in the supermarket from now on, they will see the organisation’s eponymous blue label, which assures shoppers that the fish has been responsibly caught by a certified sustainable fishery.

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“These fisheries ensure that fish are caught at levels that allow fish populations and the ecosystems on which they depend to remain healthy and productive for the future,” the MSC says.

Before reaching the decision, the body undertook an 18-month study of shoals on the east coast and eventually gave its nod of approval to the North Sea cod catch, which is made up of 288 boats in Scotland and England.

The cod stock has now recovered to 167,711 tonnes - the highest it has been since 1982 - and this marks the first time that North Sea cod has ever been approved by the MSC in the organisation’s 20-year history.

Toby Middleton from the MSC said: "Thanks to a collaborative, cross-industry effort, one of our most iconic fish has been brought back from the brink.

"Modified fishing gear, catch controls, well-managed fishing practices - all these steps have come together to revive a species that was in severe decline."

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