HALF OF UK’S TOP TEN FISH STOCKS IN PERIL AS GOVERNMENT IGNORES THE SCIENCE

Oceana UK warns today that the government’s failure to follow the science on catch limits and set a clear plan to end overfishing has pushed many of the UK’s most important fish populations towards collapse.

In one of the most comprehensive analyses of fish stocks since Brexit, Oceana UK’s Deep Decline report reveals that half of the ‘top 10’ commercial fish stocks on which UK fishers rely 1 – including North Sea cod, North Sea herring, North East Atlantic mackerel and Southern North Sea edible crab – are in a critical condition, currently being overexploited, or both.

North Sea cod was found to be critically low yet still being overexploited. Last month, the international body providing scientific evidence for fish catch regulation – the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) – advised that the state of crisis is such that zero catch is needed to safeguard the future of the cod fishery.

Despite repeated warnings from scientists, ministers continue to set ‘total allowable catches’ for many stocks above sustainable levels, risking the collapse of these populations and threatening the livelihoods of coastal communities and the health of UK seas.

• Half of the UK’s ‘top ten’ fish stocks are in a critical state, being overexploited, or both.
• One sixth of all UK commercial stocks are critically depleted yet continue to be overexploited, putting them in imminent danger of collapse.
• Over a quarter of all UK commercial stocks are critically low, and a quarter are currently being overexploited.
• Scientific advice ignored: Catch limits for many stocks, including all five worst-performing populations, exceeded safe catch levels in 2025.

Oceana UK’s report examined the UK’s commercial fish stocks and found that only 41% are confirmed to be in a healthy state. Over a quarter (27%) are critically low, while 25% are currently being overexploited. Alarmingly, around one in six stocks are both critically low yet still being overexploited – like North Sea cod – putting them on a trajectory towards collapse and threatening livelihoods in fishing communities along with the UK’s internationally important marine wildlife.

Hugo Tagholm, Executive Director of Oceana UK, said:

“Overfishing is not an unavoidable tragedy – it is a political choice. Ministers ignore the science time and time again and our seas are paying the price. Five years after becoming an independent coastal state, the UK seems to have accepted a state of relentless decline. Where is the legal accountability for this failure?

We urgently need a plan to end overfishing, one that follows the science and puts our seas on a long-term path to recovery – ensuring a new generation of coastal prosperity. But this requires leadership. Ministers must act now to redefine the future of fishing, so that those that fish in harmony with nature are prioritised over those that devastate our seabed and empty our seas.”

The report also shows that recovery is possible when political decisions follow the science. The UK’s best-performing stocks — including West of Scotland haddock, Western Channel sole and North Sea plaice — have remained healthy and sustainably fished since 2020, in large part thanks to catch limits set in line with scientific advice. These cases prove that sustainable management benefits both the environment and the economy.

In stark contrast, catch limits for three of the five worst-performing stocks have been set above scientific advice for five consecutive years. Not once since the current ‘total allowable catch’ system began have even half of UK catch limits been aligned with scientific advice, according to the UK Government’s own fisheries advisers.

Professor Callum Roberts, Professor of Marine Conservation at the University of Exeter, said:

“These results highlight the gross mismanagement of the UK’s greatest natural asset – its seas. The government has the best fisheries science at its fingertips, and even when data are scarce, the course to restoration is clear. Our seas are already at risk from oil, sewage and agri-chemical pollution; habitat destruction; and the climate crisis. We need to move away from brute extraction, regardless of collateral damage and set a new course to make fishing fair, evidence-based and above all sustainable, so that it works within nature’s limits.”

Clive Mills, Sussex fisherman, said:

“We don’t have another 10 years, I promise you that now. I have seen it since I was a young lad out on the boats, I’m now 66, and I can tell you we are on the edge of a precipice. We’re taking too much, too fast. If fishermen are going to be true to themselves, we’ve got to stop. Fifty years ago, when they brought in fish quotas, we asked ‘what are those for?’. To protect the future of fishing, we were told. And we all thought, that would be good, we need a future for fishing. But we haven’t stayed that course, and now here we are. It’s got to stop.”

Edward Baker, CEO Plymouth Fishing and Seafood Association said:

“We need healthy seas to have a healthy fishing industry, and recognition by government of the need for prioritised fishing opportunities for sustainable local fisheries.  If the science says slow down, we should listen — because without fish, there’s no future for our boats or our communities. But we need government to support the industry, if changes are needed to allow stocks to recover then fishermen need support from government to ensure their livelihoods (either via diversification or other means) so that we still have fishermen to provide for the UK’s food security.”

The UK has no overarching recovery plan or legally binding timeframe to end overfishing. Oceana UK is urging the UK Government and devolved administrations to:

1) Urgently deliver a strategy to end overfishing by the end of 2026.

2) Put in place a legal deadline to rebuild fish stocks that holds government accountable.

3) Set all catch limits in line with the science by the end of 2025.

4) Publish an annual Parliament-scrutinised audit.

5) Ensure a fair deal for fishers needing support to adjust to lower catch limits and sustainable practices.

Oceana is also encouraging the public to join the fight to end overfishing and write to the Prime Minister, Environment Secretary, and their local MPs demanding that the government follows scientific advice on catch limits and introduces a legally binding deadline to end overfishing.

Image: Oceana, Katerina Barvirova