News from the Marine Conservation Society has left chippies feeling relieved.

The society has taken cod off its “fish to avoid” list after stock in the North Sea began to show signs of increasing.

Measures to cut the amount of cod caught were introduced in 2006, after annual catches between 1996 and 2006 dropped from 80,000 to 20,000 tonnes, but recent figures showed a change in direction.

The award-winning Reliance Fish Restaurant, in Queen Street, Gravesend, has been serving people since 1920 and owner Jack Kamenou said for us southerners there was only one fish on minds.

He said: “Cod is called the southern fish by the northerners because anywhere north of Birmingham, and in Scotland, haddock is the number one fish.

"Cod will never go off the number one spot down here. I think people love it because it hasn’t got an overpowering fishy taste but can have great flavour with salt and vinegar.”

Mr Kamenou, 48, sells hundreds of battered cod to his punters each week, and while he preferred not to specify how much he spent a year on the Friday favourite, he estimated it was well over £10,000.

He said: “Cod prices are steady but the problem we have is with the Russians because they have the largest shipping fleet, which means they bring in the most stock.

"It shouldn’t affect us too much, but prices have gone up a little bit over the years.” At the moment cod and chips is £6.50 to take away, haddock and chips is £6.90."

Mr Kamenou, who has been running Reliance for 29 years, said he was happy to hear about cod being taken off the list.

He said: “I was pleased. I often keep up to date with news in the industry because I read a lot of trade magazines. Cod is a fish that breeds very well when it is maintained properly.”

The boost in cod could lead to a renaissance for traditional British meals – especially locally, with a pie and mash shop due to open in the St George’s Shopping Centre.