Cod Crisis: ICES Recommends Zero Catch in the North Sea

Historically, recreational sea anglers have long been proud of rod-bending, monster cod hauled up off the coasts, with many spending winter nights at sea or along the coast in the hope of a big fish over the years. But tragically, those halcyon days are now firmly in the past and have not been witnessed for some time.

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has now issued scientific advice to the UK and EU recommending zero catch (Total Allowable Catch, TAC) for commercial fisheries catching North Sea cod in 2026.

Anglers have long warned of this inevitable decline and experienced it first-hand. Overfishing is a political decision with decades of inaction by successive governments leading to this collapse.

What Does Zero TAC Advice Mean?

ICES have assessed that North Sea cod stocks are in such poor condition that allowing commercial cod fishing in 2026 would risk pushing the stock below levels needed for safe reproduction. Under the MSY (maximum sustainable yield) approach and precautionary safeguards, they conclude that no directed commercial catches are justifiable.

Zero catch advice is a clear alarm bell. It means that cod in the North Sea is so depleted that any further commercial exploitation is considered too risky for stock recovery. This follows a similar pattern to cod in the Celtic Sea – fishing pressure is estimated to exceed the cod of spawning age swimming in the sea.

Why Recreational Anglers Should Care?

• Cod used to be everywhere: big fish were frequent, often the prized target of winter sea angling. Many of us remember nights when cod were so abundant that it seemed they could never fail.
• Overfishing has eroded that abundance: industrial-scale trawling and gillnetting have taken a massive toll over the course of decades – what was once plentiful is now rare.
• Other pressures make things worse: warming seas, changing prey availability, and habitat degradation all amplify the difficulty of recovery.

What Next?

If governments choose TACs above zero, or permit large bycatches without strict regulation, the cod stock risks further decline, possibly to levels from which it will never recover.

“This advice from ICES is another wake-up call about the alarming state of our seas. It follows years of governments ignoring advice from scientists and failing to act. Sea anglers remember the mammoth cod they used to pull in mere decades ago; unfortunately, industrial-scale fishing has long since stolen those days. With overfishing pushing cod to the brink, and warming seas and habitat pressures adding insult to injury, we must use every tool available to give cod a chance to recover. The UK Government must take urgent action now, not later. Hard decisions today will secure our coastal communities and fisheries for tomorrow.” says Hannah Rudd, Head of Marine at the Angling Trust.

In short, the zero TAC advice is a serious indicator of how far cod have fallen. For sea anglers who treasure cod fishing, it represents both a warning and a call to arms. If we want to see cod bouncing back in our rods and nets, action by the UK Government must be immediate and sustained.

What Can Anglers Do?

Every angler has a part to play in giving cod the best chance of recovery. Here’s how you can help:

• Practice catch-and-release whenever possible
  Use appropriate rigs, unhooking tools, and gentle handling to return cod safely to the water. Circle hooks can reduce deep-hooking, and releasing fish quickly increases their chances of survival.

• If you do keep cod, respect conservation sizes
  Follow the Angling Trust’s voluntary Minimum Conservation Reference Size of 60cm for cod. This ensures cod have had at least one opportunity to spawn before being taken, helping sustain future stocks.

• Record your catches through the Sea Angling Diary
  Signing up and logging your fishing trips, including releases, provides invaluable data to scientists and managers. The more information we collect, the better we can all track the state of cod and safeguard it for the future. Sign up here: Sea Angling Home – Sea Angling Diary

The Angling Trust is calling on the UK Government to follow the science and give cod a fighting chance of survival. You can join the fight by becoming a member of the Angling Trust today.