A more than 75 per cent decrease in illegal fishing has contributed to the number of cod ready to spawn in the Barents Sea now being the most favourable in decades, estimates from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) show.
The Council estimates that illegal outtakes have shrunk from 166,000 tons in 2005 to 40,000 tons in 2007, and ICES scientists now deem both the stock and the present outtake to be sustainable.
The Barents Sea cod stock is thought to be the largest in the world.
Commenting on the ICES findings, the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) said customers can now “finally” eat Barents Sea cod with good conscience, provided the merchandise is guaranteed to be just that, and legally caught.
The WWF underlined its stand that the Barents Sea cod is the only stock presently well managed.