Hold that cod – the North Sea fish controversy isn’t over yet

Pity the poor consumer who wants to make informed decisions about eating cod. Conflicting reports on the state of cod stocks range from misinterpretation of the science – such as the Telegraph’s story that there were only 100 adult cod left in the North Sea (the correct figure was around 21 million) – to misunderstanding over the state of cod stocks in different territorial waters.

The North East Arctic cod stock is currently booming and provides much of the cod consumed in the UK, while the North-west Atlantic cod fishery which collapsed 20 years ago has not yet recovered, and several other cod stocks remain at historically low levels. Fisheries management is complex, and reporting filled with errors and omissions only adds to consumers' confusion.