'Halt cod fishing in the North Sea'

Collapsing stock puts favourite dish in peril

- By Emily Beament

Threat...small boats have been squeezed out by industrial trawlers; inset, cod

COD fishing around Britain should be halted entirely next year to prevent stocks from collapsing, scientists have warned - with conservationists urging swift government action.

Advice from the International Council for Exploration of the Sea recommends "zero catch" quotas in 2026 for cod stocks in the "Northern shelf" - English Channel, North Sea up to Norway and west of Scotland.

Cod in the southern region of the Northern shelf is in a serious state, with 61% declines in the past decade. The northwestern region around Scotland has seen a 37% reduction.

Stocks in the Viking area off Norway have fallen by 23% since 2015, data from the international group shows.