Haddock from the North Sea and the west of Scotland have been taken off a list of sustainable “fish to eat”.
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) said it downgraded the fish on its Good Fish Guide after stock numbers fell.
But the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation insisted haddock quotas are adequate to protect stocks.
“You can continue to buy your fish supper without worrying about whether there will be enough fish left in the sea,” its chief executive said.
Haddock is one of the UK’s “big five” seafood species along with cod, tuna, salmon and prawns, and a favourite at the chip shop.
But haddock from three North Sea and West of Scotland fisheries is no longer on the MCS’s recommended “green” list of fish to eat.
They have been downgraded because stock numbers in 2016 were below the recommended level and action was needed to increase the number of fish at breeding age.Two North Sea haddock fisheries are now rated “amber” – scoring four on a scale of one to five, where one is the most sustainable.
Haddock from the west coast fishery has dropped from being a good choice (rated two) to one to eat only occasionally (rated three).
Bernadette Clarke, manager of the MCS Good Fish Guide, said: “These ratings changes have come about because scientific perception of the stock has changed.
“Compared to 2015, the stock numbers in 2016 were below the recommended level and at the point where action is now needed to increase the number of fish of breeding age.”
However, Bertie Armstrong, the chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, criticised the decision of the MCS.
‘Unfortunate error’
He said: “The fishing industry is well used to these sorts of frankly meaningless publications – it’s not so long ago that we were told that there were only 100 cod left in the North Sea. Try telling that to fishermen today who are seeing huge volumes of large cod on the grounds.
“Consumers can be reassured that quotas for haddock have already been reduced in line with the stock assessments, following an unfortunate error by the scientists.
“So you can continue to buy your fish supper without worrying about whether there will be enough fish left in the sea.”
There are also improvements for scampi fisheries in the west of Scotland, Clyde and Jura catch areas in the latest list from the society.
People buying American lobster are advised to choose ones which come from fisheries with a Marine Stewardship Council certification, which means they implement stronger management to protect stocks and habitat and prevent bycatch (the unwanted fish trapped by commercial fishing nets while fishing for a different species).
The Marine Conservation Society also has ratings for different types of tuna from around the world and different methods of catching them, including nets, long lines and pole and line fisheries.
