Atlantic cod

Irish Sea cod are below safe biological levels and there is no precautionary recovery plan in place. Therefore, it receives a critical fail for stock status and is a default red rating. Atlantic cod is listed by OSPAR as a threatened and/or declining species.

This stock assessment is carried out annually by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). The most recent assessment was published in 2024 using data up to 2024. The next assessment is expected in 2025.

The stock assessment defines reference points for fishing pressure (F) and biomass (B). For fishing pressure, there is a target to keep F at or below Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY). For biomass, there is no target. However, there is a trigger point (MSY BTrigger). Below this level, F should be reduced to allow the stock to increase. Because BMSY is not defined, the Good Fish Guide applies its own definition of 1.4 x MSY BTrigger.

The Irish Sea cod stock has been declining since the 1970s, when the spawning stock biomass (SSB) was over 45,000 tonnes. SSB reached an all-time low of 2,840 tonnes in 2009, increased to 9,270t in 2017 and has since declined again. In 2024 it is 8,266t - 63% of the target level (MSY BTrigger, 13,012t). It is below the point at which there is a risk of reproductive impairment (Blim, 9,364t). The stock is therefore in a very overfished state, and suffering reduced reproductive capacity.

Fishing mortality (F) has been above levels associated with Maximum Sustainable Yield (FMSY, 0.171) for most of the time between the 1970s and 2000s. However, F has been declining since the late 1990s, and fell below FMSY in 2012. F in 2023 was 0.0093. Irish Sea cod is therefore not subject to overfishing.

A new reference point, F eco, was introduced in 2022. F eco is a fishing pressure below MSY that is derived from sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and is updated annually. SSTs are an indicator of productivity of this stock. It is expected to provide a better yield and lower risk in the long term. In 2024 it was 0.14.

ICES advises that there should be zero catch in 2025, as there are no catch scenarios that would rebuild the stock above Blim in the next year.

Recreational removals were not included in the 2024 stock assessment owing to uncertainty around their calculations and selectivity patterns. Annual catches estimated for the recreational fleet are approximately 120–150 tonnes from 2017–2021, which is similar to commercial catches. Fishing mortality may therefore be higher than the assessment indicates, but this is unlikely to change the perception of the stock.

There are a series of management measures in place, however, the stock is still in a relatively poor state and there is not appropriate recovery plan in place.

Cod in this area are not allowed to be directly targeted, but it is caught as bycatch in the Nephrops and haddock fisheries. The stock is covered by the EU Multi Annual Plan (MAP) for Western Waters, however there is no joint management plan between the EU and UK. Most catches are by the UK and Ireland.

Catch limits (Total Allowable Catches, TACs) are in place for all fleets fishing for Irish Sea cod. ICES recommended that there should be zero catch of Irish Sea cod from 2000-2017 but catches continued throughout that time. From 2018-2022, there was catch advice, but catch limits from 2020-2024 were set well above it. In 2022 and 2023 catches were well above the advice (42% and 100% above respectively). Following the MSY approach and precautionary considerations, zero catch should be taken in 2024 and 2025, the TAC for 2024 was set at 165 tonnes. Management is not therefore following scientific advice.

Compliance with catch limits appears to be good. Catches averaged around 200 tonnes, or 64% of the TACs from 2017-2021. However, in 2022, a new stock assessment indicates that the stock is below lowest safe limits, and has returned to zero-catch advice. Management has not, therefore, been adequate to protect the stock.

ICES estimates that cod catches in 2024 will be 103t, and under this scenario, the spawning stock could decrease by 2.73%. With zero catch, it would decrease by 1.37%. There are no catch scenarios that would rebuild the stock above Blim in the next year. It is noted that recruitment, rather than fishing, is now the primary driver of stock size.

There are several Cod Conservation measures are in place for this stock. Some technical specifications are that Nephrops trawlers must use highly selective gears and Haddock trawlers must have a minimum mesh size of 120mm or an eliminator trawl. These allow unwanted or small fish to escape from the net. There are no requirements for midwater or beam trawlers.

The minimum conservation reference size for cod in UK an EU waters is 35cm. Cod mature at 45cm, so this does not discourage the catch of juveniles. Roughly 85% of the catch by number in 2022 was juvenile cod aged 1-3, which could affect the ability of the stock to recover.

Additionally, there are seasonal closures on the east coast of Ireland, between February and April, towed nets, static nets, and hooks and lines are prohibited. This doesn't ban highly selective gears, so Nephrops and haddock trawlers are still allowed to fish. There is also an enhanced scientific observer programme to collect data on catches, and to monitor the development of cod and other stocks in the Irish Sea.

In the haddock fishery:

• Licensing: only 8 vessels using eliminator trawls were allowed to fish for haddock in 2021 and must be able to demonstrate clean catches (no bycatch).
• Move on rules: if the catch is more than 5% cod, the vessel must move 3 miles away and report it. Reports of high cod concentrations will be shared to allow vessels to avoid those areas.
• Vessels should have scientific observers on board or set aside part of their catch for sampling on shore.
• The maximum cod allocation to the fishery is 16 tonnes.
• These measures do not include targets or timelines for reduction of fishing pressure or recovery of biomass, and therefore do not constitute a precautionary recovery plan.

In addition to removals by the commercial fisheries, recreational catches do take place. However, recreational catch is uncertain and therefore were not incorporated into the 2024 assessment.

Gear trials are underway to find more selective gears that can be used to reduce cod catches. There is a fishery-science partnership which uses commercial vessels to sample cod catches to support analysis of the cod stock.

Since 2009, Irish landings of cod reported from ICES rectangles immediately north of the Irish Sea/Celtic Sea boundary (ICES rectangles 33E2 and 33E3) have been reallocated into the Celtic Sea as they represent a combination of inaccurate area reporting and catches of cod considered by ICES to be part of the Celtic Sea stock. Therefore, the stock assessment and management areas do not quite match.

In the EU, compliance with regulations has been variable, and there are ongoing challenges with implementing some of them. Actual levels of discards are difficult to quantify using the current fisheries observer programme.

The EU and UK both have fishery management measures, which can include catch limits, population targets, and gear restrictions. However, compliance in the EU and UK has been inconsistent, with ongoing challenges in implementing some regulations. The goal of reaching Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) by 2020 was missed, with less than half of UK TACs in 2024 following ICES advice. In 2024, the EU and UK reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable fisheries by aligning management with scientific advice to gradually approach MSY. However, no new target date has been set for achieving MSY across all fisheries. The Landing Obligation (LO), an EU law retained by the UK post-Brexit, requires all quota fish to be landed, even if unwanted (over-quota or below minimum size). It aims to encourage more selective fishing methods, reduce bycatch, and improve catch reporting. However, compliance is poor, and accurate discard levels are hard to quantify with current monitoring programmes. The UK is in the process of replacing the LO with country-specific Catching Policies.

The Marine Conservation Society views Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) with cameras is one of the most cost-effective tools for providing reliable fisheries data and aiding informed management decisions. Fully monitored fisheries enhance collaboration, data accuracy, stock recovery, and reduce impacts on marine wildlife and habitats. However, the full potential of REM may only be achieved when it tracks fishing location and documents catch and bycatch, particularly where vulnerable species and habitats are at risk. As of January 2024, the EU is introducing a Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) mandate for EU vessels, including CCTV cameras on vessels 18m or more that pose a potential risk of non-compliance, within the next 4 years. Across the UK, different approaches to REM are being taken and legislation is expected to be in place across all 4 countries within the next few years.

The Fisheries Act (2020) requires the development of Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) (replacing EU Multi-Annual Plans) in the UK. 43 FMPs have been proposed and are at various stages of development and implementation, these should all be published by the end of 2028. FMPs have the potential to be very important tools for managing UK fisheries, although data limitations may delay them for some stocks. It is also essential the UK governments define and adopt a standardised approach or model across the four nations to a universally defined FMP design, to ensure the consistence, quality and coherence of all the proposal FMPs.

The Marine Conservation Society is keen to see publicly available Fishery Management Plans for all commercially exploited stocks, especially where stocks are depleted, that include:

• An overview of the fishery including current stock status, spatial coverage, current fishing methods and impacts
• Targets for fishing pressure and biomass, and additional management when those targets are not being met, based on the best scientific evidence
• Timeframes for stock recovery
• Improved data collection, transparency, and accountability, supported by technologies such as Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM)
• Consideration of wider environmental impacts of the fishery, including habitat impacts and minimising bycatch
• Stakeholder engagement

A Atlantic Cod FMP has been proposed, coordinated by Marine Scotland that incorporates this stock. At the time of writing, it is too soon to know whether proposed management measures will be effective in managing the stock. For more information about this FMP and expected progress and timelines, see [https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fisheries-management-plans#published-fmps].

Most cod caught in the Irish Sea are by trawling, which is likely to cause some damage to the seabed. Bycatch is moderate and may include vulnerable species.

Cod in this area are a bycatch species. Around 90% of catches are by trawlers fishing for haddock or Norway lobster. Therefore, management measures are largely applied to the demersal stocks. In the mixed gadoid demersal fishery, blue and flapper skate, mitigation measures include a prohibition on landing either species, and some protection for nursery areas. It is not clear if this fishery is having an impact at population level as there is not enough data about stock trends. There is not currently enough data to quantify population trends. Therefore, there is potential for this fishery to be having an impact on these species.

Demersal trawls have contact with the seabed resulting in penetration and abrasion of habitat features. The impact of trawling on the seabed depends on the location and scale in which trawling occurs. For example, areas that are used to natural disturbance through tides and waves, are less sensitive to habitat impacts. Areas not used to mobile towed gears are typically more sensitive to trawling. Trawl gears are known to have some of the greatest impacts on Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs).

Work is underway to trial selective gears and develop tools to reduce bycatch. In the West of Scotland, this includes BATmap (By-catch Avoidance Tool using mapping), launched in 2020. It allows real-time reporting of bycatch of cod and spurdog to identify areas for skippers to avoid. Work is ongoing to refine and roll it out further. Innovation such as this is a very positive and vital step forward for minimising bycatch in mixed fisheries.

Fishing effort in the Celtic Seas region decreased by 35% between 2003 and 2014, which is reducing pressure on the seabed and on bycatch species. An estimated 61% of the Celtic Sea region, which extends from western Scotland to the English Channel, was trawled in 2022. 88% of the zone between 400m and 800m has been fished. From 2009-2011, 95% of areas containing VMEs were fished. Fishing-induced physical disturbance is estimated to have resulted in an overall decrease of invertebrate benthic biomass varying between 59% in offshore mud and 5% in sandy habitats compared to an unfished state. This impact is patchy and may be over 80% in the most heavily fished areas.

Mitigation measures include a ban on bottom trawling below 800m, and restrictions from 400-600m – the areas where most VMEs are found. There remains some uncertainty about the location of some sensitive seabed habitats, so these remain at risk.

There are Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in this area, some of which are designated to protect seabed features from damaging activities. This fishery overlaps with parts of these MPAs, but the proportion of the catch coming from these areas is expected to be relatively low in relation to the unit of assessment (i.e. less than 20% of the catch or effort), and so these impacts have not been assessed within the scale of this rating. Given the important role that MPAs have in recovering the health and function of our seas, the Marine Conservation Society encourages the supply chain to identify if their specific sources are being caught from within MPAs. If sources are suspected of coming from within designated and managed MPAs, the Marine Conservation Society advises businesses to establish if the fishing activity is operating legally inside a designated and managed MPA, and request evidence from the fishery or managing authority to demonstrate that the activity is not damaging to protected features or a threat to the conservation objectives of the site(s).

To improve monitoring and reporting of fishing activity, the Marine Conservation Society would like to see remote electronic monitoring (REM) with cameras implemented, used and enforced. ​To reduce the impacts of fishing on the marine environment we would like to see a just transition to the complete removal of bottom towed gear from offshore Marine Protected Areas designated to protect the seabed. We also want to see reduction and mitigation of environmental impacts including emissions and blue carbon habitat damage.