A new report that uses the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) sustainability standard as a common benchmark has found that North Sea cod stocks are nearly ready to be MSC certified.
Over the past 12 months Project Inshore, led by Seafish, has examined over 450 English Inshore fisheries. A summary of the report is now available to be followed by a searchable database to aid fishery managers.
The report has found that species considered ready to enter an MSC assessment in their current state include trammel net caught sole in the Western Channel, North Sea herring caught by drift net and Thames Estuary cockles.
Cod stocks in the North Sea continue to show a strong recovery and are now close to a level where they could meet the MSC Standard. The report shows that strong management measures have made a positive impact and that – once stocks have reached the required levels – all other areas of the fisheries are ready to enter an MSC full assessment.
However, the report also highlights that some species that have become more popular as a result of several campaigns encouraging consumers to eat alternative species – such as red gurnard – are not faring so well. This is mainly due to lack of data about the stocks, something that will become increasingly important as alternative species become more popular and catches increase.
“There’s been a significant interest in under-utilised species over the past few years.” says the MSC’s Claire Pescod, who chairs the project’s Advisory Group. “When those fish suddenly become commercially popular, we need to put a lot more effort into providing the appropriate information for their management to make sure that they are managed sustainably.”
Later this year Project Inshore will release a final report giving inshore fisheries a coordinated set of sustainability recommendations.
