Cod catches 'should be cut by 25 per cent'

Fishermen should cut their catches of cod by around a quarter to stop the species from disappearing from the seas around Britain, the European Commission has recommended. EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg is recommending the cuts after measures introduced in recent years failed to lead to a significant recovery in stocks. Fishermen have been told for years they must endure short-term sacrifices to allow main fish stocks to recover and secure the fishing industry’s long-term future. Mr Borg said he was basing his recommendations on the latest evidence from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) about the state of main stocks in the North Sea and the Atlantic. A UK government spokesman said the latest proposals – published ahead of the annual quota-fixing negotiations between EU fisheries ministers in December – would be considered carefully in the coming weeks. ”The scientific prognosis for most stocks is not encouraging, with many in a worse state than last year.” he said. … He said 60% of the UK’s white fish fleet had been scrapped and thousands of jobs destroyed. …

Cod catches ‘should be cut by 25 per cent