Campaigners warn UK is ‘fishing our future away’ amid cod and mackerel shortages
Britain risks being “robbed of our future” as overfishing leads to shortages in stocks including cod and mackerel, experts have warned.
New data from the government’s marine science agency, the Center for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), shows internationally agreed catch limits to ensure sustainable stocks exceed scientific advice on 58 per cent of fish populations.
Conservation charity Blue Marine (UN) accused the government of sacrificing the long-term future of vital fish stocks off Britain’s coast “for short-term political gain”.
Blue Marine’s fisheries policy lead, Jonny Hughes, said: “Scientists, conservationists and many coastal fishermen have long warned that current management approaches are failing to halt the decline of critical species. Yet the government has repeatedly resisted necessary sustainability measures.”
He added: “We’re not just mismanaging our seas anymore, we’re literally taking away our future.”
Data from Cefas shows that of 79 capture agreements, 31 were assessed as in line with scientific advice (39 percent), two failed to score and 46 failed (58 percent).
The analysis also showed that the number of deals passing sustainability assessment dropped from 35 in 2025 to 31 in 2026.
The UN said the declining cod population was a clear indicator of the crisis. Over the last decade, the cod population in the Celtic Sea has declined by 96 percent, but catch limits continue to allow catches equivalent to almost the entire remaining adult population.
The charity added that mackerel populations are also experiencing worrying declines, with the number of mackerel in UK waters falling by around 76 per cent in the last decade.
Earlier this year, the International Council for Marine Research (ICES) recommended a 70 percent reduction in catches for 2026 on all regional mackerel stocks compared to 2025 recommended levels.
ICES has warned that species and the wider fishing industry could face long-term risks if countries fail to comply with recommended catch limits.
Supermarket giant Waitrose said it would remove mackerel from its shelves by April 29 in a bid to reduce overfishing of at-risk species.
Last week, customers were urged to “completely avoid” buying UK-caught cod by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), which warns that it is not a sustainable way to eat dwindling species.
MCS, which publishes the Good Fish Guide, which helps shoppers make sustainable choices, said shoppers should also avoid trawled prawns.
It comes after the government announced its Fisheries and Seafood Scheme (FaSS), which pledges to commit around £132 million to support coastal projects and businesses over the next five years.
A Defra spokesman said: “We are committed to growing our fish stocks to sustainable levels and supporting the long-term viability of the UK fishing industry.
“Our approach to setting catch limits is based on the best available scientific advice, and we continue to work with other countries to reduce fishing pressure and strengthen stock management.”
