It’s fish and chips night – but can we eat cod with a clear conscience? | Callum Roberts

While we can celebrate the North Sea cod’s revival we can only achieve sustainability with fishing methods that are less destructive to the ecosystem

• Callum Roberts is professor of marine conservation at the University of York

News that North Sea cod has made a comeback has been welcomed by fishermen, environmentalists and fish and chip lovers. After decades of overfishing, cod reached its nadir in 2006. By then, stocks were less than a fifth of levels seen in the early 1970s, and only a third of the size needed for long-term sustainability. This year stocks finally climbed back above the threshold for maximum sustainable yield, which means cod should be back on the menu for good.

Related: Sustainable British cod on the menu after stocks recover

Incredibly, nearly all the English marine protected areas still allow bottom trawling and dredging for scallops

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