A new study has revealed that UK fish populations, including cod, herring, and mackerel, continue to be overfished and mismanaged despite promises made during the Brexit campaign. The report by Oceana UK found that only 41% of 105 assessed stocks are considered healthy, meaning they are not being fished beyond their ability to repopulate.
Experts are calling for urgent action to end overfishing, with Hugo Tagholm, executive director of Oceana UK, stating that five years after leaving the EU, the UK has accepted a state of relentless decline. He urged ministers to follow scientific advice and implement a plan to restore fish stocks, prioritising sustainable fishing practices.
North Sea cod remains at critically low levels and continues to be overfished, along with Celtic sea cod, Irish sea whiting, Irish sea herring, and North Sea and east English Channel horse mackerel. Professor Callum Roberts of the University of Exeter criticised the gross mismanagement of the UK's seas, calling for a move away from brute extraction towards evidence-based, sustainable fishing.
Regional disparities are stark, with the Irish Sea worst affected—overfished stocks rising from 27% in 2020 to 41% today. In contrast, western Scotland is the healthiest region, with 62% of stocks assessed as healthy. The UK's best-performing stocks, such as West of Scotland haddock and North Sea plaice, have remained healthy thanks to catch limits aligned with scientific advice.
Oceana UK is demanding a strategy to end overfishing by the end of next year, a legal deadline to rebuild fish stocks, and an annual audit scrutinised by parliament. Clive Mills, a Sussex fisher, warned that the industry is on the edge of a precipice and that overfishing must stop. A Defra spokesperson defended the government's efforts, citing a new £360m fisheries and coastal growth fund and commitment to restoring stocks.
