Climate variability and North Sea cod

The stock of North Sea cod is under pressure because of overfishing, and we show here that it is also threatened by a decline in the production of young cod that has paralleled warming of the North Sea over the past ten years. The combination of a diminished stock and the possible persistence of adverse warm conditions is endangering the long-term sustainability of cod in the North Sea. To decrease the risk of collapse, fishing pressure must be reduced.