For the pub classic fish and chips, British restaurateurs will again be able to deep-fry small, regional sharks. The North Atlantic dogfish could be caught again, the “Financial Times” reported over the Easter weekend with a view to a recent change in the British government’s fishing regulations. The background is that the population of the species is said to have recovered.
Before the fishing ban in 2010, the specialty – often under the name “rock salmon” which hardly sounds like a shark, or in combination with fries as “rock and chips” – was mainly offered in southern England. The change brings some relief for fish and chip stands and pubs, who traditionally use cod for the British classic. Since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression, they have suffered from high import costs and rising prices for energy, other food and investments.
“We looked at all sorts of alternatives, from South African hake to American Pacific hake and cod from Norway, so anything that takes some pressure off the supply chains,” said Andrew Cook of the National Association of Fish Fryers to the Financial times”.
Environmental groups condemned the move: the dogfish remains an endangered species, Charlotte Coombes of the Marine Conservation Society told the newspaper. The lifting of the fishing ban carries the risk that dogfish populations will shrink significantly again if one does not act cautiously enough.