Scientists are saying that cod stocks are very low, yet i can still buy my fish and chips. Why is this?

Question

Are they exaggerating the fish's decline?

Answer 1

Because they're still being caught in large quantities up to the quota - they're worries about the fish's long-term prospects, taking into account age of fish being caught etc.

Answer 2

No they are not exaggerating.

No it is not the fault of Fishermen, Retailers or Government Scientists.

It is the fault of the consumer - if we continue to want to buy it, the Fishermen will catch it and the Shops will sell it.

Where the government are at fault is continuing to extol the virtues of fish in our diet, without educating us as to how to have a responsible approach.

The scientists are reporting on the ever declining popilations of Cod and many other species - in specific locations i.e North Atlantic Cod.

Some retailers are resourcing cod from other locations where the local Cod is not as endangered as the North Atlantic Cod.

But the Fishermen who fish the North Atlantic either catch smaller and younger Cod - hastening it's decline, or catch alternative species adding them to the endagered lists - such as North Atlantic Haddock or Hake.

The buying public most at fault are the Spanish, who live Fish and pay high prices - This gives the Spanish fishing fleets much power. AND the Spanish Fleets are far more unscrupulous than the Traditional British Fleets were.

Here the British Government needs to take some serious flak - in order to guarantee our entry into the EU they SOLD a lot of our fishing rights to the Spanish. That cut our fleet to pieces. Then the Government failed to assist those of our fleets who were obeying ALL the rules, stopped making a proffit and sold out commercially to the rich Spanish Buccaneers.

At the end of the day the consumer both British and Spanosh has to stop buying endagered species.

Answer 3

The thing is there are farms of cod up in Scotland where they breed the fish, but they have to mature for five years before being culled and put in the shops. The last batch of cod has just matured so expect to see loads in the supermarkets.

Also our fishing grounds are only a 14 miles radius around our coasts. We are not allowed to go any further out to sea, but everyone else can come into it, especially the Spanish and French who steal all out supplies.

Answer 4

The fishermen are not listening to the scientists and keep pulling smaller and smaller cod out of the sea. The fish & chip shops are not listening so there's still a market for cod. You're not listening or you wouldn't still be eating it.

Never mind, in a few years when cod has been fished to extinction, you can eat something else.

Answer 5

No they are not, 90% of cod eaten in the UK is imported and in a few years the population will crash as there just wont be enough cod to breed.

Buy haddock from your chippie until cod farming gets into full swing.

Answer 6

There is deep frozen cod in cold stores in Hull that was caught in the '80's ! !
Your eating 20 year old cod !

Answer 7

It'll be because the fish you're eating might not be cod. It's probably haddock or hake.

Answer 8

What if the sticks aren't 100% cod?

Answer 9

Yes they are but it's what people want. What they should be selling are other white fish such as coley but would you buy a coley and chips? No I didn't think so.

Answer 10

As well as haddock they are using some austrailian fish called hoki.. i belive.... there is still cod... it's just being used ALOT.