UK has ‘ignored science on fish stocks collapse’ in 10 years since Brexit vote

Rebecca Speare-Cole, Press Association Sustainability Reporter

The UK has repeatedly “ignored science” on collapsing fish stocks in the decade since the Brexit vote provided an opportunity to change course on overfishing, conservationists have argued.

Ministers have continued to allow more fish to be caught each year above the level that scientists recommend to ensure healthy stocks, driving population declines in the last decade, according to a report by ocean charity Blue Marine Foundation.

The organisation analysed stock assessment data from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (Ices), looking at the estimated total weight of all mature fish that can reproduce in and around British water in 2025 compared with 2016.

It found that Irish Sea plaice has declined from 20,952 tonnes in 2016 to just 2,590 in 2025 – a decline of 88% in nine years.

And Celtic Sea cod has seen an 98% decline in total weight of mature fish since 2016, according to the analysis.

The total weight of herring in West of Scotland waters was found to have declined by 93% and the total weight of mackerel in the Northeast Atlantic was found to have declined by 78%.

Some species such as sole, seabass and boarfish have seen increases across different waters, while the estimated total weight of haddock in the North Sea and Rockall has also risen from 2016 to 2025, the report said.

However, the total weight of haddock in the Irish Sea has declined by 79% during the same period.

Each year, the UK Government agrees quotas for up to 80 fish populations around the British Isles with the EU, Norway and other countries.

Blue Marine Foundation argued that Brexit could have provided an opportunity for the UK to have more agency when it came to rebuilding fish populations in its waters.

Since the vote to leave the bloc in 2016, UK governments have introduced measures and laws aimed at delivering a sustainable fishing industry and healthy marine environment.

But Blue Marine Foundation said these measures have not yet been strong or effective enough to rebuild depleted stocks.

Instead, it said “the same pattern has continued”, with annual negotiations still prioritising the balance of competing demands and industry interests over scientific advice.

“Since leaving the European Union, there has not been a single year in which the majority of UK catch limits have been set at sustainable levels,” the report said.

“The consequences have been entirely predictable. Fish populations have continued to decline; scientific warnings have become more severe and fishing opportunities have diminished.”

It comes as the majority of agreed catch limits in 2026 were not in line with scientific advice to ensure healthy stocks, an official assessment found.

Of 79 baseline catch limits, some 31 (39%) were found to be in line with scientific advice, according to the analysis by the Government’s Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas).

Catch limits exceeded scientific advice for ensuring sustainable stocks for 46 fish populations (58%), and two could not be scored, Cefas said.

Jonny Hughes, fisheries policy lead at Blue Marine Foundation, said: “It is baffling that the UK and EU can continue to ignore scientific advice, make the same mistakes, see the same dreadful outcomes and then claim they did not see it coming.

“Management decisions are being made for short-term political reasons at the expense of long-term sustainability.

“Politicians are gambling the future of our seas, their wildlife and the fishing industry.”

The organisation is calling on ministers to ensure that catch limits are set at sustainable levels that do not exceed scientific advice.

It also argues that cameras and other electronic monitoring equipment is installed on fishing vessels so that catches can be properly counted and rules enforced, binding recovery plans for depleted stocks should be published and low-impact fishing should be rewarded when quotas are handed out.

An Environment Department (Defra) spokesperson said: “We use the best available scientific advice when setting catch limits to restore our fish stocks to sustainable levels and support the long-term viability of the UK fishing industry.

“In addition, we are working closely with our fishing and seafood sectors to ensure they are vibrant, profitable and sustainable, while supporting a healthy and productive marine environment.”

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