{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreickvjxdyc43blgeolwrkwfxi4qmjwhdrgmge57zrwjvgsvhkxkf5q",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:oznbnvgr7dmvddiyvr7dih52/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj26c5fbfwe2"
  },
  "coverImage": {
    "$type": "blob",
    "ref": {
      "$link": "bafkreigrafdtghsrk44gfwyyr6exb6kgmshphvfi2edryrkn2peu4x2b6m"
    },
    "mimeType": "image/jpeg",
    "size": 72307
  },
  "path": "/news/britons-urged-completely-avoid-cod-population-critically-low",
  "publishedAt": "2026-04-09T04:51:42.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "M&S combines two of its most popular treats for an indulgent first-of-its-kind chocolate bar",
    "'Do not eat!' warning as Tesco recalls cured meat over dangerous bacteria",
    "Greggs adds new sausage roll flavour to its permanent menu - available this week",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nBritons are being urged to avoid eating cod as stocks of the seafood staple continue to plummet.\n\nThe Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has downgraded all UK-caught cod to its lowest possible rating, urging shoppers to avoid the fish altogether.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe environmental charity updated its Good Fish Guide on Thursday, declaring that no domestically sourced cod can now be considered sustainable.\n\nPopulation numbers have fallen to what the organisation describes as a perilously low level.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\nKerry 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”.\n\nThe charity recommends European hake as an alternative for consumers seeking a similar flaky white fish.\n\nBritish cod stocks have been in steady decline since 2015, with overfishing identified as the primary cause.\n\nRising sea temperatures are said to have worsened the situation, disrupting breeding patterns and reducing the survival rates of young fish.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe 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.\n\nIn 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.\n\nIndustry reports at the time suggested fishers were “reluctantly resigned to the cut” as catches had already declined.\n\nThe charity has also downgraded trawled scampi, warning that catches have exceeded recommended limits for years and langoustine stocks are now falling.\n\n### FOOD - READ THE LATEST:\n\n\n\n\n  * M&S combines two of its most popular treats for an indulgent first-of-its-kind chocolate bar\n  * 'Do not eat!' warning as Tesco recalls cured meat over dangerous bacteria\n  * Greggs adds new sausage roll flavour to its permanent menu - available this week\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nOnly scampi caught using pots or creels retains approval, while UK-farmed king prawns are suggested as a lower-impact alternative.\n\nMackerel has fared even worse, receiving a red rating advising consumers to avoid it entirely.\n\nThe fish was removed from the recommended list last April following sustained overfishing driven by quota disputes between Britain and neighbouring coastal countries.\n\nWaitrose has since announced it will stop selling mackerel by April 29, citing the need to keep fishing within sustainable limits.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nBritain imports around 80 per cent of the seafood it consumes, a figure the MCS wants to see reduced through better management of domestic waters.\n\nThe charity is calling for stronger Government action to support low-impact fishing methods and allow depleted stocks to recover.\n\nSome 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.\n\nUK-farmed blue mussels and freshwater trout are also recommended.\n\nChris 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.”\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Britons urged to ‘completely avoid’ eating cod as population plummets to critically low levels"
}