Research by Seafish, the publicly-funded body which represents the seafood industry, and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), published earlier this year, found North Sea cod was close to being certified as sustainable.

Despite this apparent good news for fishermen, Marine Conservation Society still advises consumers to refrain from buying North Sea cod, because it remains at historically low levels.

The environmental body has acknowledged that stock levels are recovering, however, after years of strict legislation in response to overfishing.