One word to look for when ordering fish and chips after 'avoid' warning

One word to look for when ordering fish and chips after 'avoid' warningPeople are being urged not to order cod unless they knowCommentsNewsNeil Shaw Assistant Editor (Money and Lifestyle)12:45, 19 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesFish and chips are a British traditionExperts say there is one word you need to look for when buying fish and chips after an 'avoid' warning was issued. The Marine Conservation Society (MSC) has downgraded all UK cod stocks and removed them from its list of sustainable seafood and The MSC's Good Fish Guide now lists Atlantic cod from the Arctic, northern shelf, and British seas with the worst possible rating: “avoid” .‌Ruth H. Thurstan, Associate Professor in Marine and Historical Ecology, University of Exeter, said the cod served in most fish and chip shops should be, unless specified as 'Icelandic'.‌Professor Thurstan says c od populations around the UK are so depleted that the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has advised zero catches for some stocks for several years. She told The Conversation : "Catch limits have consistently been set above scientific advice, for example, allowing catches of around 14,000 tonnes of North Sea cod in 2026. This is no exception as 58% of all UK fishing quotas for 2026 exceed recommendations from ICES."‌View 3 ImagesA classic portion of fish and chips‌She added: " Even where quotas are reduced, recovery is hampered by how many fisheries operate in practice. Cod are frequently caught in mixed fisheries that primarily target other species such as haddock. However, the use of unselective and destructive gears such as bottom trawls (heavy fishing nets that get dragged along the seabed) means that cod continues to be removed from the ecosystem, even when it is not the intended target."Climate change adds further pressure. As waters warm, cod are forced northwards or into deeper waters, disrupting ecosystems and fisheries. Warmer seas can also...