Conservationists have called for action to tackle collapsing fish stocks in the North Sea as scientists advise there should be zero fishing of cod next year. Hugo Tagholm, executive director of Oceana UK, said the science confirmed that North Sea cod was in “grave danger of collapse”, which he said the charity had warned about in a 2023 health-check of fish stocks. Abysmal“No-one wins if we continue to empty our seas, stock after stock will follow cod, and once collapsed these populations could take decades to recover.”“Act now, and we can restore our seas to thriving health. We need a clear strategy to end overfishing once and for all, built on justice, and backed by fact,” he urged. Sustainable“North Sea cod is on the brink, while industrial fishing vessels still plunder UK Marine Protected Areas.