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| North Sea cod back on the menu, marine body says | North Sea cod back on the menu, marine body says |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| North Sea cod has been taken off the Marine Conservation Society's (MCS) list of fish to avoid eating. | North Sea cod has been taken off the Marine Conservation Society's (MCS) list of fish to avoid eating. |
| The UK charity had previously said cod should not be eaten because stocks were only slightly above sustainable levels. | The UK charity had previously said cod should not be eaten because stocks were only slightly above sustainable levels. |
| But it says it can now be eaten as an occasional treat following a recovery in numbers and having been removed from its red list of endangered fish. | But it says it can now be eaten as an occasional treat following a recovery in numbers and having been removed from its red list of endangered fish. |
| Samuel Stone, from MCS, said the announcement was a "milestone", but work in the area was "not done yet". | Samuel Stone, from MCS, said the announcement was a "milestone", but work in the area was "not done yet". |
| The MCS warned that nine other stocks of cod remained on its endangered list and said cod may never fully recover to their peak numbers of the 1970s and early 1980s. | The MCS warned that nine other stocks of cod remained on its endangered list and said cod may never fully recover to their peak numbers of the 1970s and early 1980s. |
| Those nine endangered stocks now need "some of the attention that North Sea cod has had", the MCS added. | Those nine endangered stocks now need "some of the attention that North Sea cod has had", the MCS added. |
| What cod remains at risk? | What cod remains at risk? |
| 'Years of sacrifice' | 'Years of sacrifice' |
| North Sea cod numbers collapsed during the 1980s through a combination of sustained overfishing and changes to the environment. | North Sea cod numbers collapsed during the 1980s through a combination of sustained overfishing and changes to the environment. |
| But the MCS has upgraded the fishery from red to amber, which means it is showing signs of improvement. | But the MCS has upgraded the fishery from red to amber, which means it is showing signs of improvement. |
| It said strict limits on catch sizes over the past 10 years were helping numbers to recover and North Sea cod could now be eaten about once a week as a treat. | It said strict limits on catch sizes over the past 10 years were helping numbers to recover and North Sea cod could now be eaten about once a week as a treat. |
| Mr Stone said it was "fantastic to see this fishery finally off the red list". | Mr Stone said it was "fantastic to see this fishery finally off the red list". |
| "Years of sacrifice and a lot of hard work have led to population increases above dangerously low levels," he said. | "Years of sacrifice and a lot of hard work have led to population increases above dangerously low levels," he said. |
| "Whilst this certainly is a milestone for North Sea cod, the job is not done yet. Efforts of recent years need to continue in order for the fishery to head towards the green end of the spectrum." | "Whilst this certainly is a milestone for North Sea cod, the job is not done yet. Efforts of recent years need to continue in order for the fishery to head towards the green end of the spectrum." |
| 'Trade will win' | |
| Mr Stone said the fish needed to increase above precautionary levels and fishing levels need to be reduced to a level where fish stocks will not be depleted. | Mr Stone said the fish needed to increase above precautionary levels and fishing levels need to be reduced to a level where fish stocks will not be depleted. |
| Don Tyler, a fish merchant at Billingsgate Fish Market, said customers would feel the benefits from the announcement. | Don Tyler, a fish merchant at Billingsgate Fish Market, said customers would feel the benefits from the announcement. |
| He said cod sold in the UK had been coming from the Atlantic in the last few years but - following a meeting with Scottish fisherman this week - North Sea cod would soon make a return. | He said cod sold in the UK had been coming from the Atlantic in the last few years but - following a meeting with Scottish fisherman this week - North Sea cod would soon make a return. |
| "The trade will win and the British public will win, because they will get a better product at a more reasonable price," he added. | "The trade will win and the British public will win, because they will get a better product at a more reasonable price," he added. |
| Another merchant, Mark Morris, said it was "fantastic news", adding: "We've known in the industry for a while it was coming but it is a case now that we can go back to it being a British product, caught by British fisherman, on a British plate." |