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| Some fine Cornish cod. |
"Thanks to sustained efforts by the EU and Scottish fishermen, North Sea cod has moved from the danger zone to relative abundance. The Marine Stewardship Council, an independent conservation group, is soon expected to declare the stock sustainable, allowing restaurants to serve it without guilt and capping an extraordinary comeback.
The cod’s recovery has taken place under a framework of international agreements that have divided the annual catch between Norway and the EU, with the latter share apportioned again among the group’s 28 member states. But British fishermen, among the most ardent of Brexiters, are demanding those agreements be torn up when the UK leaves the bloc. Many still fume that Edward Heath effectively handed over their fish when the-then prime minister negotiated the UK’s accession to the European Economic Community, the forerunner of the EU, in 1973.
Scottish fishermen, in particular, believe they are now entitled to a much larger share of North Sea cod, based on geography and the sacrifices they made to ensure the stock’s survival.
For the full article visit the FT website.
