Latest news with #cod
New York Times
a day ago
- Science
- New York Times
Honey, We Shrunk the Cod
Call it the case of the incredible shrinking cod. Thirty years ago, the cod that swam in the Baltic Sea were brag-worthy, with fishing boats hauling in fish the size of human toddlers. Today, such behemoths are vanishingly rare. A typical Eastern Baltic cod could easily fit in someone's cupped hands. Experts have suspected that commercial fishing might be to blame. For years, the cod were intensely harvested, caught in enormous trawl nets. The smallest cod could wriggle their way out of danger, while the biggest, heaviest specimens were continually removed from the sea. One simple explanation for the phenomenon, then, was that the fish were not actually shrinking: Rather, they were simply eliminated as soon as they grew big enough to be caught. But a new study suggests that intense fishing was driving the evolution of the fish. Small, slow-growing cod gained a significant survival advantage, shifting the population toward fish that were genetically predisposed to remaining small. Today's cod are small not because the big individuals are fished out but because the fish no longer grow big. The data, which were published on Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, add to a growing body of evidence that human activities like hunting and fishing are driving the evolution of wild animals — sometimes at lightning speed. 'Human harvesting elicits the strongest selection pressures in nature,' said Thorsten Reusch, a marine ecologist at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel in Germany and an author of the new paper. 'It can be really fast that you see evolutionary change.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Small fish and chips? Cod have shrunk by almost 50% over the last 30 years, study warns
As we near the end of the week, many of Brits will be looking forward to 'fish and chip Friday'. But it's bad news for those who've got their heart set on a large portion. While cod used to be giants – over a metre in length and weighing up to 40kg – today a fully-grown cod can fit neatly on a dinner plate. In fact, the body length of the tasty fish has decreased by 48 per cent – nearly half – since 1996, experts have warned. The shrinking population, in terms of both number and in size, is the result of human influence, they found. In their new study, scientists have demonstrated for the first time that decades of intense fishing, combined with environmental change, have profoundly affected the genetic make-up of a fully marine species. Their analysis involved 152 cod caught in the Bornholm Basin in the Baltic Sea, between 1996 and 2019. They worked out how the size of cod has changed over the years, and found it had decreased significantly. Analysis showed that while the largest fish caught in 1996 measured 115cm long, the largest in 2019 measured just 54cm long. They also found that the length at which 50 per cent of the population reached maturity has declined from 40cm to 20cm. Cod that grow slowly but reach reproductive maturity at a smaller size have had a survival advantage under high fishing pressure, the researchers explained. 'When the largest individuals are consistently removed from the population over many years, smaller, faster-maturing fish gain an evolutionary advantage,' Professor Thorsten Reusch, from the Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, said. 'What we are observing is evolution in action, driven by human activity. This is scientifically fascinating, but ecologically deeply concerning.' The researchers also identified genetic changes that confirm the 'shrinking' of cod has a genetic basis and that human activities have left a measurable mark on their DNA. 'Selective overexploitation has altered the genome of Eastern Baltic cod,' Dr Kwi Young Han, first author of the study, said. 'We see this in the significant decline in average size, which we could link to reduced growth rates. 'For the first time in a fully marine species, we have provided evidence of evolutionary changes in the genomes of a fish population subjected to intense exploitation, which has pushed the population to the brink of collapse.' The team warned that the evolutionary consequences of this could be severe. It could mean that the fish are less able to adapt under future environmental changes, they explained. 'Evolutionary change unfolds over many generations,' Professor Reusch said. 'Recovery takes far longer than decline, and it may not even be possible.' There has been a ban on targeted cod fishing in certain parts of the Baltic Sea since 2019, but 'there's no sign of a rebound in body size', the researchers said. While the UK gets most of its cod from the Barents Sea and the waters around Iceland, overfishing in these areas could potentially lead to similar effects. Writing in the journal Science Advances the team said their findings 'underscore implications for conservation policy'. Experts have previously urged Brits to ditch white, flaky fish like cod in favour of more local varieties such as herring and mackerel. Dr Anna Sturrock, from the University of Essex, said we should opt for species more common to our own waters instead of importing the likes of cod and haddock from other countries. Separately, a report from the WWF has called for 'urgent' efforts to strengthen regulation of the seafood sector amid concerns our love for seafood is killing off dozens of species that rely on it for food. The report, titled 'Risky Seafood Business', quantified the total volume of seafood eaten by Britons for the first time. It claimed that in 2019, 887,000 tonnes of seafood was eaten by people in the UK – the equivalent of 5.2 billion portions of fish and chips. Whitefish, including fish and chip favourites haddock and cod, accounted for almost a third of the fish consumed (29 per cent). The vast majority (81 per cent) of this seafood was fished or farmed outside of UK waters, according to WWF. The likes of whales, dolphins, seabirds and sharks have been directly impacted by fisheries supplying UK markets, the report warned, as one of their main food sources is being depleted. Top tips to help you choose the most sustainable seafood Use these five MAGIC tips to help you choose the most sustainable seafood: Mix it up 80% of the seafood we eat in the UK is made up of five species: cod, haddock, salmon, tuna and prawns. This puts a lot of pressure on a handful of species - but dozens of different species are caught and farmed in and around the UK. Why not mix it up and try something new? Avoid red rated Red-rated seafood has significant environmental concerns and should be avoided. The species could be endangered; there could be very damaging methods of fishing or farming; or there could be illegal activity involved in catching or farming it. Good Fish Guide Choosing sustainable seafood can be confusing - that's why we developed the Good Fish Guide. We do the hard work for you, making it easier to make the right choice. Save our app to your home screen and discover the best sustainable swaps while you're eating out or shopping. Impact Look for low-impact fishing and farming methods to prevent significant harm to marine species and habitats. More environmentally-friendly methods include pots, hand-diving, or pole and line fishing. Check for ecolabels Certified seafood usually has to meet stricter requirements for minimising environmental impact and tracking exactly where it has come from and how it was caught or farmed. The Marine Stewardship Council 'blue tick' is probably the most well-known, which covers wild seafood. The Aquaculture Stewardship Council certifies the sustainability of farmed seafood. Other eco-labels to look out for include GlobalG.A.P., Global Aquaculture Association Best Aquaculture Practices, Organic, and Soil Association.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
We used to catch hundreds of cod a day. Last year it was just ONE: One fishing family reveal truth about EU monster trawlers that've decimated our waters as Starmer surrenders to foreign fleets
In Britain's fishing heyday, a sturdy red wooden boat called Royal Charlotte ploughed the English Channel to bring home enormous catches of cod for her owners, the Coker family. Forty years ago, the nation's favourite white fish was caught every day by Kent fishermen with a rod and line.
Telegraph
20-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
‘We were promised we'd get our fishing grounds back – Starmer's Brexit deal is giving everything away'
It's quiet on the North Quay in Grimsby. There aren't many fishermen left, and those who remain don't have much hope for the future. 'We've all got grey hair down here, and we've only got a few more years [at it],' says Darren Kenyon, who's been fishing since he was 13. Now he's 58 and no longer believes that anyone will listen when he talks about the plight of those in the local industry, which once formed the backbone of the town. Grimsby used to be the world's premier fishing port, famous for its cod and haddock, but by 2018 there were just 20 trawlers left. Now there are only a handful. Some date the start of the industry's demise to the cod wars of the 1970s, while others blame the European Union (EU) common fisheries policy, which introduced strict catch quotas to preserve stock. Either way, Euroscepticism was common among fishermen and Brexit enjoyed a high level of support in the industry. In Grimsby, some 70 per cent of voters backed it in the 2016 referendum. Taking back control of our waters and liberation from EU regulations were meant to be among its chief selling points. But since Britain left the bloc, many fishermen have felt betrayed. New paperwork has created obstacles to selling to EU countries, which make up Britain's biggest export market. And now comes what they see as another blow, in the form of Sir Keir Starmer's new Brexit 'reset' deal. Under the terms agreed by the Prime Minister, EU fishing boats will continue to have access to UK waters until 2038. This access had been due to expire in June next year. The quid pro quo for the extension, says the Government, is that importing and exporting food and drink will be made easier as paperwork and checks will be reduced. Some checks on animal and plant products will be entirely scrapped. None of which seems to impress the fishermen in Grimsby, who don't sell to the continent anyway. 'We've ended up with hardly anything' 'It's just the same old story,' says Kenyon, who lands crabs, lobsters and whelks from his four boats and also owns a fish processing factory on the quayside. 'It's another good hiding for us, I'm afraid. The job's knackered now.' The promise of Brexit, as he sees it, has been broken. 'We were promised we were going to get our fishing grounds back,' he says. 'We've ended up with hardly anything. This deal is giving everything away.' The situation in Grimsby reflects the wider mood in fishing communities across the UK, as they try to come to terms with the catastrophic consequences of Starmer's new deal. Kenyon is standing on the dock, surrounded by the paraphernalia of his trade: the lobster pots and crab pots, coils of rope and rolls of netting. But he's one of the few still at it. Jim Walker, who's been fishing for 40 years, is another, but he works from a little estuary 20 miles down the coast 'because we can't afford to come in this dock'. He too is scathing about Starmer's deal, which was described by the Conservatives and Reform as a 'surrender' to the EU. 'They've just given the French, the Dutch, the Belgians free reign,' he says. Under the current rules, EU fishing boats are meant to remain outside a six-mile zone off Britain's coast. But they don't, claims Walker, who lands shellfish and sells them to Kenyon. 'The industry is going to die pretty quick' Shellfish from Kenyon's 17-year-old factory on the Quayside is sold all over Britain. He took over the business from his father and had wanted to pass it on to his children but is no longer sure that will happen. 'The last 15 years [have seen a] big crunch, we've got a lack of crews – a lot have left to work for the wind farms because it's good money – and we're all of a certain age,' he says. 'I think the job is done and the industry is going to die pretty quick.' Red tape, he says, has stunted his ability to do his job. Besides which he feels certain that he and the other British fishermen are more heavily policed than their foreign counterparts fishing nearby. Under the new deal – also branded 'disastrous' by the Scottish Fishermen's Federation – it seems likely such resentments will continue to simmer. Would things have improved under the plan to deny EU vessels access after June 2026? 'I think it would have made a difference for the whole of England,' says Kenyon. In 10 to 20 years' time there could have been 'a sea full of fish, we don't let anybody in, we fish it for ourselves.'' But in Grimsby, he admits, 'we haven't got the vessels because we haven't had the help.' Most of those that sit on the shimmering water in the dock today are not fishing trawlers but boats working in the renewable energy industry. Offshore wind was meant to breathe life back into Grimsby (its home to one of the world's largest offshore wind farms) but there's little evidence of that in the streets of run-down or boarded up shop buildings. There's a sense of sadness about this among the fishermen, who are keenly aware of what has been lost here. 'It's another food source being smashed' 'We're an island,' says Kenyon. 'We should be farming ourselves and fishing ourselves.' But as he sees it, the new deal is another nail in the coffin of an already ailing industry. Rob Evans, who runs Taymore Ltd, a Grimsby-based shellfish company with one trawler, brands the agreement 'terrible'. He says: 'First [Starmer's] done the farmers, now he's done fishing. My biggest concern is it's another food source being smashed.' He's perplexed by Starmer agreeing to an extension of as long as 12 years 'because that's three future governments possibly.' If EU access to British waters had ended next year as originally planned, there would have been more fish available, which would have helped the local industry, he believes. As it is, there are European vessels that steam up from France 'and take tonnes and tonnes of whiting'. He adds: 'I can't see any fishermen in the country thinking it's a great idea to have more boats turning up and taking fish that, if left alone, will breed.' Fishing is a small but politically sensitive part of the British economy, estimated to make up just 0.03 per cent of GDP. In Grimsby, though, it still forms an important part of the local identity. Seafood processing provides 6,000 jobs in the town, even if the numbers of men going out to sea has dwindled to near zero. The Government has announced a £360 million investment fund in coastal communities and the fishing industry. But it isn't enough to reassure the fishermen in Grimsby, who feel they have been sold out by successive governments. 'The Government doesn't care about the fishing industry,' says Walker. Behind him, some of the buildings are no longer in use, or have been demolished. 'It was unreal,' sighs Kenyon. 'You could get anything here, you didn't have to go out of the dock. It was like its own little mini-town, I loved it. The dock was alive. There were thousands of people working night and day… Nobody seems to want it any more.'
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
My local fish and chip shop is selling a disgusting cheap substitute for cod. Can I sue? DEAN DUNHAM reveals the dirty secret that's becoming so common... and what to do about it
I'm sure our local fish and chip shop sells cheap substitutes for cod and haddock – how can I get my money back? R. R., Hastings.
