Overview
- Marine Conservation Society’s Good Fish Guide, updated Thursday, moved all UK-caught cod to its lowest rating and urged shoppers to switch to alternatives such as European hake.
- The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea advised no cod should be caught in the North Sea and nearby waters in 2026, and the UK cut cod quotas by 44% in December after talks with the EU and Norway.
- The guide also downgraded trawled scampi, recommending only pot- or creel-caught sources, and gave mackerel a red rating as Waitrose prepares to stop selling it by April 29.
- Scientists and conservation groups say years of heavy fishing drove the decline, with warmer seas disrupting breeding and lowering young cod survival, and they call for stricter management and low-impact fishing.
- With about 80% of UK seafood imported and 167 million fish-and-chip meals eaten each year, shop owners warn rising cod prices could squeeze menus and threaten businesses.