Cod back on the menu as fish stocks go swimmingly

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has taken it off the organization’s list of fish to avoid eating, thanks to a recovery in numbers.

As well as being a favorite for takeaway meals, cod was once one of the U.K.’s chief exports.

The fishery, which collapsed in the 1980s as a result of overfishing, has risen above dangerously low levels for the first time after years of reduced fishing and efforts to avoid catching cod in mixed fisheries, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) said. But the body warned that a history of sustained overfishing along with changes to environmental conditions have reduced the reproductive success of North Sea cod – meaning numbers may never fully recover.

He said: “It’s fantastic to see this fishery finally off the red list. Years of sacrifice and a lot of hard work have led to population increases, but efforts of recent years need to continue in order for the fishery to head towards the green end of the spectrum”.

The owner of Sea Salt and Sole on Dyce’s Station Road, Rikki Pirie, also said he had not sold cod before.

Nine smaller cod fisheries in the North East Atlantic remain red-listed by the MCS, including those fished from the Irish Sea, Celtic Sea, and West of Scotland.

Most cod eaten in Britain comes from the northeast Arctic and Iceland where stocks are healthy, but some still finds its way in from depleted fisheries. However, the MSC said the fishery was now showing suggestions of improvement.

It said strict limits on catch sizes over the past 10 years were helping numbers to recover and said it could now be eaten about once a week as a treat.

The MCS has announced that, following an increase in numbers, North Sea cod can now be fished at sustainable levels. The numbers involved are still quite staggering, even when you consider that cod and chips is one of the UK’s favourite dishes.

The United Kingdom charity had previously said cod should not be eaten because stocks were only slightly above sustainable levels.

Merchant Don Tyler said: “The British public will get a better product at a more reasonable price”.