Cod Could Disappear From British Fish And Chips
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Cod and chips is undoubtedly one of the most iconic dishes on the British menu.
There's nothing like tucking into a bag of vinegary chips and a side of crispy cod after a day at the seaside - but the epic Brit tradition could be nearing its end. Sob.
According to climate change researchers, cod and monkfish could be disappearing from the menu thanks to a warming in sea temperatures.
The English Channel, Celtic Sea and southern North Sea, where most of our chippy's cod and monkfish come from, is getting considerably warmer meaning the species will be harder to farm.
It's not all bad news, though. Instead, we could be seeing a rise in red mullet, Dover sole and lemon sole on our menus.
There'll also be far more John Dory - a fish often found in warm Mediterranean waters - meaning we may soon be having to adapt to a more sophisticated European palette. Buon appetito!
The research was conducted by the Universities of Exeter and Bristol with help from Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aqua-culture Science, as well as the climate experts at the Met Office.
Lead author, Dr Katherine Maltby, commented: "Climate change will continue to affect fish stocks in this sea region."
Dr Maltby and her team suggested it's down to us to stop climate change and keep the Atlantic cod swimming in our waters, while fishery managers need to do better to preserve the fish we do have access to.
The study concluded by saying: "For declining species, fisheries managers may need to consider options that can reduce the vulnerability of stocks to warming temperatures, such as reducing fishing mortality rates or imposing stricter catch limits.
"For species not currently regulated, as a first step, species may need to be closely monitored for increasing fishing pressure, with future regulations or measures such as quotas potentially necessary.
"Fishers 'on‐the‐ground' experiences should be incorporated with scientific information to inform future management decisions to enable sustainable exploitation while supporting fishers' adaptation to changes in species' relative abundance."
Long live cod and chips!
Topics: Tasty Food, Food And Drink