Britons urged to ‘completely avoid’ eating cod as population plummets to critically low levels

Dan McDonald
Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:51:42 +0000

Britons are being urged to avoid eating cod as stocks of the seafood staple continue to plummet.

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has downgraded all UK-caught cod to its lowest possible rating, urging shoppers to avoid the fish altogether.

The environmental charity updated its Good Fish Guide on Thursday, declaring that no domestically sourced cod can now be considered sustainable.

Population numbers have fallen to what the organisation describes as a perilously low level.

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Kerry Lyne, who manages the Good Fish Guide, described the downgrade as a “warning signal” and said the Government needed to “address these concerns to allow stocks to recover”.

The charity recommends European hake as an alternative for consumers seeking a similar flaky white fish.

British cod stocks have been in steady decline since 2015, with overfishing identified as the primary cause.

Rising sea temperatures are said to have worsened the situation, disrupting breeding patterns and reducing the survival rates of young fish.

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea warned last year that no cod should be caught in the North Sea and surrounding waters in 2026, cautioning that continued fishing risked pushing stocks below safe reproductive levels.

In December, Food Security and Rural Affairs minister Angela Eagle announced a 44 per cent cut to cod fishing quotas for 2026 after negotiations with the EU and Norway over shared stocks.

Industry reports at the time suggested fishers were “reluctantly resigned to the cut” as catches had already declined.

The charity has also downgraded trawled scampi, warning that catches have exceeded recommended limits for years and langoustine stocks are now falling.

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Only scampi caught using pots or creels retains approval, while UK-farmed king prawns are suggested as a lower-impact alternative.

Mackerel has fared even worse, receiving a red rating advising consumers to avoid it entirely.

The fish was removed from the recommended list last April following sustained overfishing driven by quota disputes between Britain and neighbouring coastal countries.

Waitrose has since announced it will stop selling mackerel by April 29, citing the need to keep fishing within sustainable limits.

Britain imports around 80 per cent of the seafood it consumes, a figure the MCS wants to see reduced through better management of domestic waters.

The charity is calling for stronger Government action to support low-impact fishing methods and allow depleted stocks to recover.

Some sustainable British options remain available, including haddock from the North Sea or waters west of Scotland, seabass from the North Sea, English Channel and Celtic Sea, and plaice from the North Sea.

UK-farmed blue mussels and freshwater trout are also recommended.

Chris Graham, head of sustainable seafood at the MCS, said: “It's deeply concerning seeing so many of our iconic fisheries from cod to mackerel under increasing pressure.”