Fish Restaurant - Kent Uk

Cod On The Rise Or Still In Decline?

I've read a couple of un-related articles recently that seem to suggest that uk Cod fishing has been rather better this winter than last winter. Does this mean that cod is recovering from over-fishing?

Without scientific evidence or proof it's difficult to voice anything except gut-feeling or opinion. My own instinct tells me that this is a small-scale upward blip in a downward spiral.

I base my opinion on the reasons why Cod are in sheer decline:

Firstly Cod are definitely over-fished and this happened well before this article was written.

Secondly, juvenile Cod are still being fished along with their older siblings making reproduction of the species difficult at best and unjustified at worst.

Thirdly, their habitat and breeding grounds are still being destroyed by global warming, pollution and destructive fishing methods such as bottom trawling.

Lastly, Cod are predatory fish and need other fish lower down the food chain on which to feed. This "cod-food" is being overfished much in the same manner that Cod are in the first place.

I've still no doubt in my own mind that Cod will survive the hiuman equation but just not as food for human consumption for many years to come.

Posted by: Andrew

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