North Sea cod stocks have declined to such an extent that they could now be sold with a “ blue tick ” label , indicating they are “ sustainable and fully traceable ” , according to the Marine Stewardship programme . The fish has been considered at risk since 2006 when stocks fell to 36,000 tonnes . Measures including new stocks and the protection of spawning areas from fishing have helped regenerate the population . Despite the decline , the WWF has warned that stocks of the species are still low compared with 50 years ago . Cod stocks must be independently assessed before the blue tick label can be granted .
North Sea cod stocks have recovered to such an extent that they could now be sold with a “blue tick” label, indicating they are “sustainable and fully traceable”, according to the Marine Stewardship Council. The fish has been considered at risk since 2006 when stocks fell to 36,000 tonnes. Measures including new nets and the protection of spawning areas from fishing have helped regenerate the population. Despite the improvement, the WWF has warned that stocks of the species are still low compared with 50 years ago. Cod stocks must be independently assessed before the blue tick label can be granted.