First, there is simply not enough fish in the sea to support current fishing effort. Most demersal stocks show clear signs of overfishing and the current situation is not sustainable. At the moment, only three North Sea cod in ten reach 4 years of age and about sixty per cent of the biomass is fished each year. Any displacement of fishing effort induced by reductions in cod and hake fishery is likely to worsen the situation for already threatened stocks. Recent information suggest that more stocks might end up in the same critical state in the very near future.