ECO-FRIENDLY customers can now tuck into cod “with a clear conscience” after North Sea stocks were officially deemed sustainable and traceable.
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) has awarded Scottish-caught cod sold in supermarkets and restaurants the “blue tick” eco-label, a mere decade after stocks were on the verge of collapse.
As recently as 2006, as little as 44,000 tonnes of North Sea cod stock remained – down from 270,000 tonnes in the 1970s.
Both Scottish and English cod boats, which are members of the Scottish Fisheries Sustainability Accreditation Group (SFSAG), have now passed an independent sustainability assessment by the MSC.
Toby Middleton from the MSC thanked a “collaborative, cross-industry effort” for the cod stock recovery, citing the introduction of “modified fishing gear, catch controls, well-managed fishing practices”.
“By only choosing MSC certified sustainable North Sea cod”, he continued, “we can all help to protect this much-loved fish and ensure it’s never at risk again”.
A decade ago, realising that the industry was in danger of collapse, a “cod recovery plan” was implemented. The industry retired 60 per cent of the fishing fleet, closed large spawning areas to fishing, introduced measures to allow real-time closures of areas of the sea to protect juvenile fish, trialled new nets and put CCTV on boats to monitor catches.
The improvements have ensured that the demand for cod – 70,000 tonnes of which is consumed a year – can now be satisfied without fear of stock annihilation.
Mike Park, chairman of SFSAG, said: “The years of commitment to rebuilding North Sea cod has shown that fishermen are responsible and can be trusted to deliver stable and sustainable stocks. The consumer can now eat home-caught cod with a clear conscience.”
WWF’s Lyndsey Dodds warned that the recovery remained fragile: “It’s vital that we don’t lose focus on sustainably managing fish stocks and ensuring the protection of the marine wildlife and habitats as the UK develops its post-Brexit fisheries policy.”
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