By Roger Harrabin, Environment analyst
North Sea cod stocks are on the road to sustainability, according to Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) research.
The body, which certifies whether fish are caught through good practice, says it is too soon to tell exactly when the North Sea fishery will meet its mark.
But a spokesman said on current trends, it would be ready for certification within years rather than decades.
Stocks would still be in recovery then, James Simpson said, but they would have passed an acceptable level.
MSC certification is determined by the state of the stocks, the environmental impact of the fishery, and if there is a management system in place to maintain sustainability if circumstances change.
The latter two were already in place, Mr Simpson said.
“This is really great news”James Simpson, Marine Stewardship Council
"This is really great news," he said. "We have done an assessment of the entire inshore industry and it's clear that cod is on the way back."
The recovery was thanks to strict catch limits aided by a massive public campaign for sustainable fish, he said.
Barrie Deas, the chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, which represents fisherman in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, told Radio 4's Today programme it was a "dramatic turnaround".
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment
You only need to enter your comment once! Comments will appear once they have been moderated. This is so as to stop the would-be comedian who has been spamming the comments here with inane and often offensive remarks. You know who you are!