Fishermen may have been rejoicing last week to see headlines proclaiming a ‘slight recovery’ for cod stocks in the North Sea (BBC, The Times, press release). However the so-ugly-they’re-kinda-cute fish still have a distinctly un-rosy future.

The International Council for the Exploration of the Seas is still saying quotas for cod need to be slashed. What is driving these ‘slight recovery’ stories is the number of young cod in the North Sea has shown a slight rise for a second year. Bertie Armstrong, of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, told the Times, “This is excellent news, reflecting scientific proof of what the fishermen had been reporting for some time – that cod was recovering in the North Sea.”

ICES breaks down its cod advice into geographic areas, here are the areas and some exerpt from their comments.

West of Scotland

The spawning stock biomass is at an all time low, but the total mortality is uncertain and probably high.

Irish Sea

Spawning biomass in relation to precautionary limits: Reduced reproductive capacity

Fishing mortality in relation to precautionary limits: Harvested unsustainably

Celtic Sea Cod

Harvested sustainably

North Sea / Eastern English Channel / Skagerrak

…at risk of being harvested unsustainably and suffering reduced reproductive capacity.

Rockall

No analytical assessment of this stock has been carried out.

Recovering they may be, but if fisherman want to be fishing a few years from now they’re still going to have to catch less cod. And if you are going out for fish and chips, don’t make it cod just yet.

Image: Getty