UK households have been warned to stop buying cod – especially cod caught in the UK – by a conservation charity.
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) on Thursday updated its Good Fish Guide, which aims to encourage shoppers and businesses to make sustainable choices to help keep fish populations alive, following years of concerns about overfishing threatening the future of the fishing industry.
The guide has now downgraded cod to the lowest possible rating for all UK-caught cod, and recommends that shoppers swap cod for hake instead at both fish and chip shops and supermarkets, as well as restaurants.
Good Fish Guide manager Kerry Lyne said the change is a ‘warning signal’ and called on the Government to ‘address concerns’ to allow cod stocks in British waters to recover.
The Good Fish Guide explains: “The sustainability of Atlantic cod varies a lot, depending on where and how it was caught. Most cod sold in the UK is from Iceland or the Arctic. Avoid cod from the Arctic and North Sea. For the Best Choices, look for Icelandic cod caught by longline or gillnet. Cod is one of the most popular seafoods in the UK. It is sold in many forms in UK supermarkets, including fresh or frozen fillets, and a wide range of processed products. It is also a staple in fish and chip shops, seafood restaurants, and fishmongers.
“As an alternative to cod, the Good Fish Guide recommends alternatives such as European hake, which is similar to cod but has healthy UK stock levels, as a more sustainable choice for a flaky white fish. Some UK haddock remains a good option, depending on where they are caught – look out for haddock caught in the North Sea or West of Scotland for a good choice.”
Earlier this year, supermarket Waitrose suspended sales of mackerel after conservationists raised an alarm about population levels.
The retailer says it is the first UK supermarket to suspend sourcing of mackerel, which it gets from Scottish waters, with sourcing of fresh, chilled and frozen mackerel suspended by April 29 and tinned mackerel following once the current stock has sold.
The move comes in the wake of failures by governments to cut catches to levels recommended by scientists to ensure sustainable fishing and stop mackerel stocks collapsing.
Conservationists welcomed Waitrose’s move to take mackerel off its shelves, and urged other supermarkets to follow suit.
Overfishing has resulted in depleting mackerel stocks in the north-east Atlantic, with Ices saying the species, and the wider fishing industry, could face long-term risks unless countries stick to recommended catch limits.