Good Fish Guide 'ignoring fishers, government and scientists'

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Fish displayed on ice in Borough Market in London, England

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The society has warned there is no sustainable choice for UK-caught cod, downgraded langoustine, and advised consumers to completely avoid mackerel

The Marine Conservation Society has been accused of ignoring the progress made by fishers, government and scientists in its latest Good Fish Guide.

Seafood industry stakeholders said the guide did not accurately reflect International Council for the Exploration of the Seas’ (ICES) advice, nor consider efforts to ease fishing pressure on stocks including cod, langoustine, and mackerel.

It comes as the society warned there was no sustainable choice for UK-caught cod, downgraded langoustine, and advised consumers to completely avoid mackerel.

The guide has been accused of presenting “alarmist headlines” by National Federation of Fish Friers president Andrew Crook, who called on the conservation group to “highlight the good work done to manage fisheries rather than to tell consumers not to eat cod”.

“The 44% reduction in North Sea cod quotas was decided upon after consultation with the catching sector as they are seeing few cod in the southern part of the North Sea but an abundance in the northern part,” Crook said. “It seems to show that the scientists have taken a pragmatic approach to the total agreeable catch.”

Concerns were echoed by Scottish Pelagic Sustainability Group chair Ian Gatt, who argued the new ratings presented a misleading picture of the mackerel fishery.

He said MCS’ decision-making process “shows a lack of rigour and attention to detail” as there was “a large amount of work going on to ensure the future sustainability of the fishery”.

According to him, the MCS failed to reflect developments such as mandatory remote electronic reporting for all vessels operating in Scottish waters and the 48% cut in the total allowable catch agreed between the UK, Iceland, Norway and Faroe Islands, which would “deliver a significant reduction in fishing pressure”.

“With all these factors, and negotiations on a broader six-party coastal state agreement to bring on board the EU and Greenland still ongoing, we believe MCS should have placed their rating for mackerel as being ‘under review’ until the next round of scientific assessment becomes available in September,” he added.

The Shellfish Association of Great Britain further stressed the guide did not fully reflect ICES advice.

Langoustines were downgraded by the guide, but a spokesperson said the UK’s nephrops fisheries were “making measurable, independently verified progress on the sustainability of the stocks, reducing ecosystem impacts and implementing effective management”.

The fisheries are in the second year of the Marine Stewardship Council’s Marine Improvement Program, which provides a framework for fisheries not operating to MSC standards to meet them within five years.

‘This has not been issued lightly’

MCS said the guide’s ratings were rigorously reviewed and updated in line with the latest scientific advice.

“This mismatch between scientific advice and catch limits has seen stocks declining and reaching a depleted state last year – catching above the recommended limit further jeopardises the future of the stock,” said Good Fish Guide manager Kerry Lyne, concerning mackerel.

Brooke Schlipf, MCS Good Fish Guide ratings officer, said the advice on cod was similar, with scientific advice recommending zero-catch but catch limits being set above that. The current state of stocks, catch limits and the impact of trawling on the environment had pushed langoustines down in the ratings, she added.

“Ratings that were downgraded were due to one or more of the following factors: a decline in the stock, an increase in fishing pressure, or catch limits being set above scientific advice,” Schlipf added. “We pay close attention to scientific advice to ensure that our ratings accurately reflect the best available evidence and information.”

NGO Oceana UK also defended the guide, commenting that measures such as recommending customers to avoid UK-caught cod had “not been issued lightly”.

Izzy Ross, fisheries campaigner for Oceana UK, said the advice was “not a surprise” arguing that catch limits had been set above scientific advice in British waters for years, “disregarding reality in favour of big industry’s tall tales”.

“The consequences of those actions are unavoidable, and retailers, shoppers and ocean advocates alike have been woken up to the reality,” Ross continued.

“Small steps by the government to reduce catch are not a proportionate response to this crisis, not when we are currently on course for total collapse,” she added. “It needs to start taking the science seriously and create a clear strategy to end overfishing and restore our seas.”