Scientists advise 'zero catch' for cod in 2027 over stock

Scientists have once again advised that there should be zero fishing of cod in 2027 across vast areas of sea around the UK due to concerns over the collapse of fish stocks. The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has released its latest recommendations, advising zero catch quotas for all cod stocks in the Northern Shelf area, which includes the English Channel, North Sea up to Norway, and the west of Scotland.

Cod populations in these waters face serious declines after years of overfishing and the impacts of climate change. Fishing quotas for the North Sea are set annually in political negotiations between the EU and coastal countries, but allowed catches are often set above scientific recommendations. In 2026, the majority of quotas negotiated by the UK were not set in line with scientific advice.

Brief written by urgent.news from RTE News's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.