Overview
- The Marine Conservation Society updated its Good Fish Guide on Thursday, downgrading all UK-caught cod to its worst rating and telling consumers not to buy it.
- Scientists link the decline to years of overfishing since 2015 and warmer seas that cut breeding success and juvenile survival.
- The ICES advised zero cod catches in the North Sea and nearby waters for 2026, and the UK government cut cod quotas by 44% in December.
- The guide also red-lists mackerel and says only pot- or creel-caught scampi are acceptable after research showed bottom trawling can release carbon from seabed mud.
- Because the UK imports about 80% of its seafood, fish-and-chip shops may switch to European hake or certain haddock and face higher costs as supply shifts.