DIRE WARNING
North Sea cod stocks halved in just two years
sustainability certificates for North Sea cod are being suspended following declines in fish stocks, after a warning from the Marine Stewardship Council of an alarming drop in numbers. It was thought that cod stocks in British waters were in good health, but new advice from the MSC, which sets international standards for sustainable fishing, has revealed much lower volumes of fish, putting the fishery in increased danger of collapse.
Only two years ago, scientists reported the return of cod to the North Sea with estimates of 152,000 tonnes of fish in the region, the highest since 1982. It followed an extensive recovery plan set up more than a decade earlier, when numbers were at a record low of 44,000 tonnes. A cod recovery plan saw numbers beginning to recover and in 2017 the species received a ‘blue tick’ from the MSC.
Forecasts suggested that stocks would hit 180,000 tonnes this year, but advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), says the actual figure is 81,224 tonnes, which is below the safe biological level for the stock and means it is at an increased danger of collapse.
As a result, MSC certification, which allows seafood to carry the blue tick that shows it comes from sustainable fisheries, will be suspended from all MSC-certified fisheries targeting North Sea cod. Any fish caught from the date of suspension on October 24 will not be able to carry the label.
It is not clear what is fuelling the decline, although experts suggest it could be factors such as climate change and fewer young cod surviving into adulthood in the past two years. A discard ban is being partly blamed. Some believe discarding has continued, meaning even more fish are being caught.
Erin Priddle, UK and Ireland programme director for the MSC, said: “The decline in the North Sea cod stock is a worrying development, with the latest stock models suggesting that the fishery has not recovered as well as previously thought.”
Mike Park, who is chairman of the Scottish Fisheries Sustainable Accreditation Group, said some developments are taking place that seem beyond its control, but they are committed to introducing proportionate measures in an attempt to reverse the decline.
The announcement was “no surprise” said environmental charity WWF, while conservation charity Open Seas has described the assessment as a “crying sea of shame”.
Nick Underdown, from Open Seas, said: “The problem is not just overfishing; trawling the seabed close to shore destroys nursery grounds for fish, and indiscriminately catches young cod before they can mature. We need to protect spawning habitat urgently, remove damaging bottom trawling from inshore seas, and end the wasteful bycatch of juvenile fish.”
The advice will be the subject of negotiations between the coastal nations bordering the North Sea. It could result in a reduction in the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for commercial fishers in 2020. Some conservationists are suggesting that emergency measures should be introduced this year.