North Sea cod disappearing

LONDON, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Climate change, not overfishing, is causing cod to disappear from the North Sea, a study published in a British journal says.

Researchers from Britain and France say that stricter quotas or a ban on cod fishing entirely will not be enough to save the fish from eventually disappearing, The Times (London) reported Wednesday.

Dr. Richard Kirby of the University of Plymouth and Dr. Gregory Beaugrand of France's National Center of Scientific Research say an increase in the average temperature of North Sea water has had a catastrophic effect on its ecosystem.

They write in the journal of the Royal Society of Biological Sciences that warmer water temperatures have caused the species of plankton that cod larvae feed on to move away, causing a decline in cod stocks.

As a result of that decline, the researchers say there has been an explosion of crabs and jellyfish.