The government’s failure to follow the science on catch limits and set a clear plan to end overfishing has pushed many of the UK’s most important fish populations towards collapse.
In one of the most comprehensive analyses of fish stocks since Brexit, Oceana UK’s Deep Decline report reveals that half of the ‘top 10’ commercial fish stocks on which UK fishers rely – including North Sea cod, North Sea herring, North East Atlantic mackerel and Southern North Sea edible crab – are in a critical condition, currently being overexploited, or both.
North Sea cod was found to be critically low yet stillbeingoverexploited. Last month, the international body providing scientific evidence for fish catch regulation – the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) – advised that the state of crisis is such that zero catch is needed to safeguard the future of the cod fishery.
Despite repeated warnings from scientists, ministers continue to set ‘total allowable catches’ for many stocks above sustainable levels, risking the collapse of these populations and threatening the livelihoods of coastal communities and the health of UK seas.
Oceana UK’s report examined the UK’s commercial fish stocks and found that only 41% are confirmed to be in a healthy state. Over a quarter (27%) are critically low, while 25% are currently being overexploited. Alarmingly, around one in six stocks are both critically low yet still beingoverexploited – like North Sea cod – putting them on a trajectory towards collapse and threatening livelihoods in fishing communities along with the UK’s internationally important marine wildlife.
Hugo Tagholm, Executive Director of Oceana UK, said:
“Overfishing is not an unavoidable tragedy – it is a political choice. Ministers ignore the science time and time again and our seas are paying the price. Five years after becoming an independent coastal state, the UK seems to have accepted a state of relentless decline. Where is the legal accountability for this failure?
We urgently need a plan to end overfishing, one that follows the science and puts our seas on a long-term path to recovery – ensuring a new generation of coastal prosperity. But this requires leadership. Ministers must act now to redefine the future of fishing, so that those that fish in harmony with nature are prioritised over those that devastate our seabed and empty our seas.”
