The fish and chips meal that is so popular in Britain is now being threatened by climate change. New research done by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), suggests that more warm water species have been coming into the water around the British isles and that there are fewer cold water fish like cod.
Cod is, of course, the traditional fish choice for the meal. According to Dr. John Pinnegar who led the research:
“Our models for 2025 and beyond suggest that seawater temperature may continue to rise in the future. As a result, U.K. waters will become more hospitable for some species and less suitable for others, with the overall result that most commercial species will move northwards.”
Cod is also considered an endangered species. Dr. Pinnegar suggested this might lead to a change in diet.
“U.K. consumers enjoy eating quite a limited range of seafood, but in the long term, we will need to adapt our diets. In 2025 and beyond, we may need to replace cod and other old favorites with warm-water species such as squid, mackerel, sardine and red mullet.”
