The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has removed cod from its “do not eat” list after strict controls were brought in to protect the species following years of overfishing brought the populations to the edge of extinction.
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As well as being a favorite for takeaway meals, cod was once one of the U.K.’s chief exports.
The FishOnline website, which advises consumers on eating sustainable seafood, warns that all wild caught sea bass is now on the “fish to avoid” list as the fishery faces collapse.
The move signals that the ailing fish industry is beginning to show signs of recovery, after years of reduced fishing and efforts to avoid catching cod in mixed fisheries.
He said: “It’s fantastic to see this fishery finally off the red list”.
He said: “Years of sacrifice and a lot of hard work have led to population increases above dangerously low levels”. He said: “We have a very strong moral code about the sustainability of what we supply and we think it is too soon to start using cod from the North Sea again”.
The Marine Conservation Society said that the fish can now be enjoyed “occasionally”.
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.
Now all cod stocks in United Kingdom waters are being fished in excess of this level, which is required by law by 2020 at the latest, Mr Stone said.
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.
The group also believes the improvements in stock are down to fishermen – including those based in Peterhead and Shetland – ensuring they catch sustainably and not the fact that it was put on a list to avoid. “Efforts of recent years need to continue in order for the fishery to head towards the green end of the spectrum”, said MCS Fisheries Officer, Samuel Stone. “It must now do more to improve their status”.
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He also said greater efforts were needed to restore the nine cod stocks in the north east Atlantic that remain on its red list.
