- Conservationists are urging consumers to stop eating UK-caught cod due to dangerously low population levels, with the Marine Conservation Society downgrading it to the worst possible rating.
- The decline, largely attributed to overfishing and rising sea temperatures, has led to warnings that there is no plan in place for recovery.
- The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea has advised against catching any cod next year in almost all British waters to allow the species to recover.
- Food security minister Angela Eagle previously announced a 44 per cent cut in cod fishing quotas in December.
- Fish and chip shop owners are warning of potential closures if customers do not switch to alternative, more sustainable fish like European hake, haddock, or Norwegian pollock, as cod prices have significantly increased.
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