CHIP shop favourite haddock should be taken off the menu in the light of new scientific advice, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has said.

The charity has removed the fish from its "green" list of recommended seafood after a drop in stock numbers in Scottish waters and in the North Sea.

The society said that time was needed to increase the number of fish of breeding age in three zones, to allow stocks to replenish back to sustainable levels.

However, Scottish fishermen say that consumers should still buy haddock, as they have already reduced the amount they catch in line with the recommended levels.

The fish is one of the UK's "big five" seafood species along with cod, tuna, salmon and prawns, which feature most frequently in shopping baskets..

Smoked haddock is particularly well regarded in Scotland, where it forms the basis of popular traditional dishes such as Cullen skink and Finnan haddie.

Two of the fishing zones are now rated "amber" by the MCS Good Fish Guide, scoring just four in a scale of one to five, where one is the most sustainable.

The other fishery has seen its fish numbers fall to a "three" rating.

Bernadette Clarke, the MCS Good Fish Guide manager, said: "These ratings changes have come about because scientific perception of the stock has changed.

"Compared to 2015, the stock numbers in 2016 were below the recommended level and at the point where action is now needed to increase the number of fish of breeding age."

There is more positive news for some other fisheries, with scampi fisheries in the west of Scotland, Clyde and Jura catch areas showing improvements in their MCS rating.

People buying American lobster are advised to choose ones which come from fisheries with a Marine Stewardship Council certification, which means they implement stronger management to protect stocks and habitat and prevent bycatch.

The Marine Conservation Society also has ratings for different types of tuna from around the world and different methods of catching them, including nets, long lines and pole and line fisheries.

The society's work on sustainable seafood is supported the People's Postcode Lottery, whose head of charities Clara Govier, said: "It is great to see a whole range of resources giving people the power to make their own choices on which seafood to eat.

"However you access it, the Good Fish Guide gives instant advice on what to eat and how to cook it, whether you're shopping for the family in the supermarket or looking for a place to eat out."

But Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, dismissed the guide and gave its ratings system a battering by describing it as "meaningless".

He said: "The fishing industry is well used to these sorts of frankly meaningless publications - it's not so long ago that we were told that there were only 100 cod left in the North Sea.

"Try telling that to fishermen today who are seeing huge volumes of large cod on the grounds.

"Consumers can be re-assured that quotas for haddock have already been reduced in line with the stock assessments, following an unfortunate error by the scientists. So you can continue to buy your fish supper without worrying about whether there will be enough fish left in the sea."