Marine watchdog criticised for keeping North Sea cod on the 'fish to avoid' list Bernadette Clarke, fisheries officer for the group, said: "The efforts of fishers and managers have placed cod in the North Sea on the road to recovery. Programmes such as the conservation credits scheme, which rewards fishermen for adopting conservation measures with additional days at sea, together with more effective long-term management plans will, hopefully, see the fishery continue to recover. Our advice remains to seek alternatives to North Sea cod. There are more sustainable cod fisheries that we currently rate as fish to eat. According to the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, the world's oldest intergovernmental science organisation, the breeding stock of cod in the North Sea is three times larger than it was in 2006, and has returned to 1995 levels. However, it still recommends a nine per cent cut in the North Sea cod quota for next year because of the lack of young fish reaching maturity. One skipper said the MCS rating was "dangerous" for an industry that supported thousands of jobs across the north and north-east of Scotland. Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, said the recovery in North Sea cod was in large part down to the "massive" efforts of fishermen and consumers should pay no attention to the advice on cod. He added: "Whilst we are disappointed the MCS advice on North Sea cod remains unchanged, we are pleased they recognise stock is on the road to recovery and the fishing effort for the species has decreased. We firmly believe that North Sea cod is a sustainable choice for the consumer because the scientific advice indicates that stock levels will continue to rise in the future, thanks to the sustainable fishing practices adopted by our fishermen. Indeed, the majority of stocks of interest to Scottish fishermen are increasing, and important species such as Scottish haddock, saithe and herring are all independently certified by the Marine Stewardship Council for the responsible manner in which they are harvested. Our unequivocal message to the consumer is to eat more Scottish fish, and that includes North Sea cod. The society also says that monkfish remains a fish to eat only occasionally because stocks are declining, despite cuts in the fishing effort in the North Sea and waters west of Scotland.